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It started with one man at the Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico; a Cuban immigrant named Rogelio Bolufe, who has been in ICE detention since last August.
Around April 28, he raised concerns about conditions at the facility and has since gone on hunger strike. Bolufe mobilized dozens of fellow detainees to protest about legal library access, water quality, tablets, and what he alleges were constitutional abuses.
Bolufe says that on May 5, he was removed from his cell and transferred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's field office in Albuquerque, then transferred to Camp East Montana in Fort Bliss, Texas, then to Alabama, then to Mesa, Arizona, and lastly to a detention facility in Washington. All over the course of 48 hours. Bolufe says that throughout the transfer, he was denied medical care and prescription medicine.
In his own words: "I don't have any medical attention. They didn't let me see any doctor. They didn't give me any medication for migraines or pain. This is a reprisal for complaints, a reprisal for the First Amendment."
Since the hunger strike, he says he has lost 25 pounds. Following his example, 100 people at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California, 20 more at the Desert Annex down the street, and an estimated 300 people at the Delaney ICE detention center in New Jersey and the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, are all currently on hunger strike.
We don’t know who specifically organized the hunger strikes in California–their names remain anonymous for their protection, from fear of retaliation. But we do know that a coalition of at least a dozen organizations is supporting the detainees.
In New Jersey, Gabriela Soto, described as “a rising immigrants’ rights advocate,” who is currently pregnant and shares two children with her husband, Martin Soto, a Peruvian man detained at Delaney since February, are involved as organizers of the ongoing hunger strike.
Soto's lawyers had been arguing his immigration case, including a habeas corpus filing in a federal district court. According to reporting from Gothamist, a judge approved an order in March preventing ICE from moving Martin outside the state of New Jersey.
On Sunday, however, tensions boiled over when ICE told Soto he would be released, only to find himself placed in a van ready to be transferred. At this point, his pregnant wife, Gabriela, who was present, spotted him being placed in the van and begin running frantically around it.
Protesters intervened, using road blockades and forming a human chain to prevent the van from leaving. The van returned inside, Soto was placed in solitary confinement, and the protesters were shot at with "less-than-lethals," beaten, dragged, and tear-gassed.
Governor Mikkie Sherrill was denied access. Rep. Analilia Mejia arrived to conduct an unscheduled oversight visit with Rep. Rob Menendez, who had been waiting for 13 hours. They were checking on Soto, who reportedly led the hunger strike, while ICE officials attempted to transfer him out as retaliation.
According to reporting by Veronica De la Cruz, ICE showed up on Monday with cars, officers, and an armored vehicle. Protesters again blocked the transfer of detainees by forming a human chain, while senator Andy Kim attempted to negotiate with ICE. I
CE used the breakdown in talks as cover to move the vehicles — then deployed tear gas and pepper spray into the crowd, affecting people, including at Senator Kim, and giving ICE a window to speed away without being inspected,
According to Gothamist, Martin was secretly moved to the Elizabeth Detention Center. The family found out through a DHS statement from an unnamed spokesperson just after noon on Monday. He remains in solitary confinement and visitation privileges with his family have been cancelled.
The protests continue at Delaney Hall as more community members have been showing up, locking arms, and staring down DHS agents and their military gear. The masked agents continued to arrest protesters, including a medic on Tuesday night.
A young, 10-year-old girl, named Nayeli Gomez, has been going viral at Delaney Hall, showing up on her birthday to advocate for her father, who is currently in Delaney while dealing with diabetes and neglected medical care. A female guard allegedly cursed and insulted the young Gomez, who was unfazed and quickly quipped back.
Despite Delaney Hall being quite literally in the opposite corner of the country, the demands of the detainees are similar in scope. They include bond reform, mold remediation, better food, water, medical, and mental care.
At Adelanto, hunger strikers are also demanding accountability for the deaths that have occurred, addressing various suicide attempts, and for the right to organize and speak with family and representatives without interruptions and retaliations. They are all also advocating for the detention centers to be shut down. ~ Memo Torres
RAIDS
[Thursday. May 21. Day 350.]
- Santa Maria: At the Dignity Health - Marian Regional Medical Center on 1400 E Church Street, around 4:18 p.m. ICE vehicles were seen in the parking lot. We are unsure if they took a detainee to the hospital or were waiting to detain someone.
- Rancho Mirage: 10 East and Bob Hope Dr, 7:45 a.m. Border Patrol spotted on the freeway conducting a traffic stop. No confirmed reports of anyone being taken.
- Los Angeles: Around 11697 Mona Blvd., around 7:00 a.m. Union Del Barrio posted to social media about possible ICE activity near the address.
- San Bernardino: On Pepper Ave. and Mill St., around 6:52 a.m. ICE agents were seen in the area conducting a traffic stop on a car. No confirmed report of anyone being taken into custody.
- Murrieta: On 24850 Hancock Ave. around 9:59 a.m. ICE agents were seen scouting at an apartment complex inside their vehicles.
- Ventura: At the County of Ventura Government Center, around 1:40 p.m. ICE agents were present at the detention facility of the government center.
[Friday. May 22. Day 351.]
- Fallbrook: On De Luz Rd.m Border Patrol agents were conducting a traffic check. Later in the afternoon, a community watcher noted that a truck was left behind, indicating that someone might have been taken.
- Rancho Mirage: On 34249 Monterey Ave. around 10:02 a.m. Border Patrol seen at the Home Depot in the area.
- Thousand Oaks: In front of La Ventana Treatment Program on 155 E. Wilbur Rd. around 7:30 a.m. Local police were seen with ICE agents near the treatment center as community watchers were legally documenting and observing.
- Upland: On 9th St. and Groff Ave. around 1:20 p.m. ICE vehicles and agents were surrounding vehicles in the parking lot.
- Ventura: At the County of Ventura Government Center on 800 S. Victoria Ave. around 1:40 p.m. ICE agents were seen at the detention facility of the government center waiting for releases.
[Saturday. May 23, Day 352.]
- San Bernardino: On Rialto Ave. & Meridian Ave., around 6:45 a.m. Community watch teams confirmed that ICE agents took at least one person from the area. The community watchers noted that prior to the detainment, ICE agents had been scouting the area for the last several days.
- Anaheim: At the Chevron gas station on 4105 W. Chapman Ave. Community watch teams documented as masked ICE agents took someone from the gas station.
- Van Nuys: At a Van Nuys Courthouse on Van Nuys Blvd. and Sylvan St., Two confirmed ICE vehicles were seen parked at the courthouse. No confirmed detainments were reported.
[Sunday. May 24, Day 353.]
- Fontana: Near the Vasari at Ventana apartment complex on 4800 Citrus Ave., around 11 a.m. Near the Ventana apartment complex. ICE agents seen in the area by community watchers.
- Oxnard: In La Colonia, around 5:00 a.m. VC Defensa confirmed that ICE agents took four people from the neighborhood in the early morning.
- Huntington Beach: In an undisclosed neighborhood around 11:00 a.m. Community watch teams confirmed that ICE agents took a person from the community near the Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley border.
[Monday. May 25, Day 354.]
- Escondido: On East Lincoln Avenue and Martin Drive, 11:10 a.m. ICE Agents and vehicles were spotted in the area. They questioned someone in their truck vehicle and asked him to exit the vehicle.
- Escondido: On 9th Ave. and Vine St., around 7:57 a.m. Community watchers confirmed that ICE agents took an individual from a Nissan truck.
- Thousand Oaks: On Moorpark Rd., 12:00 p.m. 805 Rapid Response confirmed that ICE agents took an individual in the morning.
- Thousand Oaks: On Wilbur Rd., around 11:08 a.m. Confirmed ICE vehicles were seen in the area.
- Huntington Beach: In Oak View on Jacquelyn Ln., around 7:34 a.m. A confirmed ICE vehicle was spotted in the area.
[Tuesday. May 26, Day 355.]
- San Bernardino: On Gould St. and Tippecanoe Ave., around 10:15 a.m. Federal vehicles seen in the area by community watchers.
- San Bernardino: At the ISAP Office on 255 N. D St. Ste. 313, around 11:45 a.m. Federal immigration agents were seen at the office taking at least one person.
- San Diego: In Linda Vista, in a McDonald’s parking lot on Morley St., around 8:00 a.m. ICE vehicles were seen scouting around the area.
- Oxnard: On Hueneme Road and Saviers Road, 6:00 a.m. Two people taken in the parking lot of La Concina Rica as reported by community watchers.
- Oxnard: Near Lemonwood Ave. around 6:30 a.m. Three ICE vehicles were seen in the area.
- San Luis Obispo: At the San Luis Obispo County Jail, 9:56 a.m. ICE vehicles seen entering the facility by community watchers.
- Fullerton: On Highland Ave. and Santa Fe Ave., around 11:40 a.m. Community watchers confirmed that masked ICE agents took a man from the area. Video footage shows at least four masked male agents.
AT L.A. TACO
IN OTHER ICE-RELATED NEWS
- First-ever sanction against the private prison giant CoreCivic for destroying video evidence ~ Intercept
- Hunger strike detainee released from Delaney Hall talks with reporters ~ Kevin Ortega Rojas
- Another person walked free from Delaney Hall ~ Radio Jornalera
- Three minutes of Madness at MDC Downtown Los Angeles ~ Resist Da Coup
- 10 years old U.S. Citizen girl deported after emergency brain surgery ~ Telemundo / NBC
- Children of Detained Hunger strikers confront ICE agents at Delaney Hall ~ Sunrise Movement
- Rep. Rob Menendez and other delegates finish oversight of Delaney Hall in NJ ~ Kevin Ortega-Rojas
- DHS Threatens to Halt International Travel at Airports in 8 Sanctuary Cities ~ Reuters
- 10,000 rulings: The courts’ overwhelming rebuke of Trump’s ICE policies ~ Politico
- Immigration courts are using a new tactic to speed up deportations ~ NPR
GENERAL NEWS
- U.S. is pausing a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan because of the Trump administration’s war with Iran. ~ The Hill
- U.S. informs Japan of Tomahawk missile delivery delays ~ Japan Times
- Minnesota becomes first state to outlaw prediction markets, immediately sued by federal regulators ~ Minnesota Reformer
- Thousands of journalists’ data exposed to dark web ~ Semafor Media
- Hasan Piker And Medea Benjamin Reportedly Subpoenaed For Their Trip To Cuba ~ Huff Post
- Multiple injuries, deaths after 'major chemical implosion' at Longview paper mill ~ Komo News
- Mea Marie frist public statement about flotilla participants by Israeli occupation forces ~ Mea Maria Instagram.
