by Piash
A Warehouse of Dreams
October 17, 2009 in News Article, Opinion Piece, Student Activism by Piash
Last Sunday, I woke up to a beautiful day and headed to Elizabeth, New Jersey to attend a event held by some extraordinary people in the heart of the Elizabeth warehouse district. You might be wondering why a group of citizens would be holding a protest outside a warehouse building instead of enjoying the unusually warm weather. It’s because that this is no ordinary warehouse. It is a huge window-less prison filled with thousands of immigrants who had dreams and hopes of a better life in America.
Now, they are living in cramped rooms with no idea of when they might be free again. The official description for the Elizabeth Detention Center is “a temporary detention center for individuals who are waiting for their immigration status to be determined or who are awaiting repatriation”. But if you want a honest description, see “Visit to the Elizabeth Detention Center” by Sr. Jacquelyn Balasia.
When we saw the dorms, we wanted to weep! They were worse than we imagined. Each dorm is the height of the entire
warehouse with windows only near the ceiling. Cinderblock walls 3½ to 4 feet high separate areas for 1 to 2 beds. Under
each bed is a small box for storage of detainee’s religious articles, mail and other approved items. A guard stands on duty
in each dorm 24-7. In the front of each dorm are round metal tables, each with four stools, all bolted to the floor.
The 11th Columbus Weekend Vigil was held by IRATE & First Friends, a group that run a visitation program at the Elizabeth Detention Center and advocates for those held there. I was asked to talk about the Dream Act and the work that we are doing. I was quite terrified yet strangely calm as I stood there talking about my involvement with the Dream Act. It was quite unnerving to know that I could easily become another inmate in this detention center. After all, in April, 2008, Daniel Guadron, a undocumented student who was only a senior at the time, was arrested and sent to Elizabeth detention center where he spent 7 months locked up. They thundered into the inner-city row house at dawn, shouting and banging doors, their guns as prominent as the letters emblazoned on their windbreakers: ICE.
Last week, I praised the Director of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, for curbing Sheriff Arpaio’s power under the 287(g) program run by ICE. Under the program, local police authorities gain some power to act as immigration officers. Yet this week, DHS announced that they are planning on renewing this program and are negotiating with law enforcement agencies around the country such as Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Police Department in Morristown, New Jersey, a town only 20 minutes from where I live, is one of the new agencies that have recently entered the program. You can read more here.
How long can we continue ignoring the festering wound that is our broken immigration system? How many warehouses will we fill with scared and confused immigrants who are separated from their families and forced to endure an embarrassing and cruel existence behind bars? How many Dreams will we shatter?
I have a sister who is a 3 years older then me, 25 to exact but unlike me was not born in the USA.She seems so depressed everyday because like other American (myself) she went to school graduated with honors but then found out that, that was pretty much the end of the line for her. It is extremely hard to watch her cry every other day hoping that a law would change so that she would be able to become a citizen or atleast have some rights in this country.We had a hard begining and she was adopted which is why I am unable to help her and I hate to see her struggle everyday. She tries not to show her dismay but I know her and I see it all the time because she does not have enough money to continue school and she has a child that is 3 years old and she only wants to be someone he can look up to. She is not a bad person, doesnt have one blemish on her record and I think it is so terrible for her to have to suffer when she did not ask to be brought here but my parents brought here and now she is only trying to make something of herself.
Your sister may qualify for cancellation of removal once your parents become legal residents. Is that an option? Otherwise, DREAM is all she has, sadly enough.
She should not give up. There is hope and faith.
Thank you for writing this article and bringing to light the conditions in the Center.
I am currently representing an individual who is being detained in the Elizabeth N.J. Detention Center, and who is an asylum seeker. He has a medical issue that is not being properly tended to by the medical staff in the facility. We have made multiple requests that he be released from custody and paroled into the United States while his asylum application is being considered, and are hopeful that DHS will favorably consider our most recent request so that he may obtain medical treatment. Wish us luck.
Hey Matt,
Thanks for the comment and best of luck to your client. We recently worked with First Friends on a case involving a family whose father was detained at Elizabeth for over three years, he finally couldn't take it anymore and gave in and was deported. The family was to follow suit however they received deferred action a few months ago.
Seems like family separation is a cornerstone of ICE.
Thank you for this, and for attending the event and speaking out! My husband was in Elizabeth over 2 years ago and deported – he still can't return to the US. I shudder when I look at this picture, remembering going there every day and the hell that it was. It has to end!! Keep up the good work!
Napolitano and Obama are just pretending that none of this is happenin they are aware of the problem but y arent they doin a thing to stop this? i agree with ilegal immigrants that doing crimes to be deported but not the innocent ppl