CAR AND BIKE CARAVAN DEMANDS CUOMO RELEASE ICE DETAINEES AND IMPRISONED PEOPLE, CANCEL RENT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, PROTECT ALL WORKERS, AND SUPPLY EMERGENCY RELIEF FOR UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15th, 2020
Contact: Andy Ratto (678) 561–7248, info@closethecampsnyc.com
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New York, New York, May 15th, 2020 — A coalition of immigration and abolition activists will surround Governor Andrew Cuomo’s New York City office Friday afternoon at 3pm, for a fourth week in a row, to demand he release ICE detainees and imprisoned people. Their demands stand in solidarity with grassroots organizations across the state, also demanding the cancelation of rent, protective equipment for workers, and emergency funds for undocumented communities.
As Governor Cuomo continues to ignore those unable to social distance in detention, jail, or prison, those unable to work safely, and those forced to work while sick to feed their families and pay their rent, the known death toll from COVID-19 continues to fluctuate, with communities bracing for a second wave in coming months. Following the protest at Governor Cuomo’s, the bike and caravan will move to Brooklyn, where they will support various buildings on rent strike through social-distance solidarity.
Immigrant justice activists assert that Governor Cuomo can use his emergency powers during this public health crisis to release ICE detainees within state facilities without notifying ICE, as well as release more imprisoned people within New York’s overcrowded jails and prisons. Activists point out that he has remained largely silent on the issue, releasing small handfuls of imprisoned people, nothing nearly sufficient to coincide with CDC social-distance guidelines for flattening the curve.
In addition, Gov. Cuomo has publicly refused to provide emergency relief for the undocumented community that are suffering from COVID-19 and the economic shutdown. This forces undocumented persons to continue to work in unsafe conditions, in order to feed their families and pay their rent. Cuomo’s blatant disregard for those most vulnerable ensures a slow recovery for New York State, allowing more individuals to succumb to this highly contagious virus.
“Governor Cuomo, we are demanding that you do everything in your power to free all ICE, prison, and jail detainees in New York State. People in detention do not have access to adequate medical or sanitary facilities,” said Teresa Shen, an organizer with Cosecha NYC. “If you continue to do nothing, more blood will be on your hands. You must act before ICE detention centers, prisons, and jails become death camps in this COVID-19 pandemic. People are already dying”
“It is imperative that the Governor do everything in his power to free our undocumented neighbors from detention, as well as reduce the state prison population. Prisoners, whether they are held by ICE or the Department of Corrections, do not have the ability to social distance. Some of the locations worst hit by the pandemic in the country are jails and immigration detention centers.” added Josh Bloom, an organizer with Close the Camps NYC.
“Do their lives matter less because of their immigration status or criminal record? They are human beings and deserve dignity and due process, not being abandoned to die in a cage. The Governor likes to talk about ‘New York tough’. Well, the real ‘New York tough’ is sticking up for one another,” said Bloom.
Protestors will wear masks and maintain six feet distance from each other in accordance with CDC guidelines. Organizers provided caravan participants with additional safety guidelines and safety supplies before the protest to minimize COVID-19 risks.
From Gov. Cuomo’s office, the protest caravan will travel to the borough of Brooklyn to support housing strikes in the Crown Heights area. The cancellation of rent allows individuals to stay at home when sick and to focus on keeping their loved ones and communities fed and healthy. People should not be deciding whether they can pay their rent or eat. The caravan will also be stopping at the Crown Heights home of James Patchett, President and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation. The NYCEDC has been a major contributor to the housing crisis and gentrification of the entire city.
To quote abolitionist scholar Ruth Wilson Gilmore, “where life is precious, life is precious.” For Gov. Cuomo, life is precious only for some, mainly the rich and white.
All photos free for media use. You may credit Close the Camps NYC.
Follow actions by Close the Camps NYC — and our allies nationwide — by using #FreeThemALL, #NoBusinessWithICE, #DignityNotDetention, #ShutDownICE, #AbolishICE and #CloseTheCampsNYC in social media.
About Close the Camps Close the Camps NYC is an action coalition of groups and organizers working to close concentration camps in the United States and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to demilitarize immigration processes. Three other social and environmental justice groups sponsor Close the Camps NYC and its nonviolent direct action tactics: Cosecha; Extinction Rebellion; and Earth Strike NYC.
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#FreeThemAll #NoBusinessWithICE, #DignityNotDetention, #ShutDownICE, #AbolishICE, #CloseTheCampsNYC, and #CloseTheCamps on social media.
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