Washington, D.C. – This week, reports surfaced of forced mass hysterectomies being performed on immigrants at ICE’s Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia. Abuse, neglect and the consistent violation of human rights are endemic to the U.S. immigration system and its racist agenda that aims to control, hurt and kill immigrants.
These allegations were brought forward by a former nurse at ICDC, along with Project South, the Georgia Detention Watch, the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, and the South Georgia Immigrant Support Network, which has helped ensure ICE is investigated. Most recently, new reporting has also come to light alleging mistreatment by Dawn Wooten, the whistleblower.
You can find our petition to demand justice for immigrants and abolish ICE here.
Cynthia Garcia, Campaign Manager for Community Protection of United We Dream Action, said:
“The news about ICE forcefully sterilizing immigrants in Georgia is a disturbing reminder that we cannot have immigrant justice without reproductive justice. Abolishing ICE is critical in the fight to achieving this justice. Whether it’s forced hysterectomies, family separation, patterns of sexual abuse, or the agency’s blatant refusal to protect immigrants from COVID-19, ICE is working as it was originally designed: inflicting terror and pain on immigrant communities.
The allegations brought against Dawn do not erase that ICE is responsible for all these abuses, making them government sanctioned. For many rural communities, jobs in detention centers, jails, and prisons are abundant. These communities often lack necessary investments, so working class people have no other option but to work in and be part of these oppressive systems. We commend Dawn for her decision to come forward. We will not participate in the attempt to vilify other marginalized communities for surviving, and we will support people when they’ve made the choice to leave jobs that perpetuate cruelty towards others.
All of us are deserving of dignity, freedom and the opportunity to seek a better life. The deportation force of ICE and CBP are diametrically opposed to these values. It is time that we close the concentration camps! ICE and CBP must let our people go and elected officials need to put an end to this inhumane agency once and for all.”