WORDS FROM INSIDE NJ & NY'S ICE FACILITIES APRIL 2021
What's happening with ICE in NY & NJ?...........................................................2 Marvin Ventura Reyes .........................................................................................4 Marvin's Sister........................................................................................................8 Anson Datalos .....................................................................................................20 Alex Legasov.........................................................................................................22 Wilson Peña Lojo.................................................................................................25 Take Action/ Ways to Help ...............................................................................28
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ICE IN NY AND NJ? The first COVID-19 case in an ICE facility was at Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, NJ. Bergen County Jail is just one out of four ICE facilities in NJ. Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties each have a contract with ICE in which ICE pays each county between $110 and $120/day for every immigrant detained, a disproportionate amount of whom are Black and Brown. The fourth facility is the Elizabeth Detention Center, which is run by the private for-profit company CoreCivic, but owned by a local company, The Elberon Development Group. The pandemic, coupled with the inhumane conditions inside, such as a rat infestation, 2
rat carcasses in the food, mold on the walls, a lack of drinking water that forced people to drink water from the toilet, sexual and physical abuse from the guards, and medical neglect, led to many people detained by ICE in NJ and NY going on hunger strike. Over 170 people inside ICE facilities across NY and NJ went on hunger strike since the beginning of the pandemic. Only a handful have been released. Often, those on hunger strike were put on suicide watch (essentially a de facto solitary confinement), beaten, transferred to facilities (Texas, Florida), or deported as retaliation. They faced brutal repression and had their humanity stripped away from them. This zine is a compilation of testimonies from people detained by ICE and their families. 3
MARVIN VENTURA REYES FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 Marvin, from El Salvador, currently at Krome Service Processing Center in Miami, began his hunger strike on March 7th. He migrated to the US in 1998 after witnessing the violent killings of his father and brother. He was detained by ICE in November 2019 and first held at Essex County Jail before being transferred to Bergen County Jail, where he went on his first hunger strike. In retaliation, he was transferred to Krome in Miami, where he is on his second hunger strike. As of April 5th, he is hospitalized.
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February 2021 I am an immigrant from El Salvador. I am currently detained at Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida. I emigrated from my country for the first time in 1998, a few days after a man with cruel intentions scarred my life forever when he killed my father and my brother. I was present and witnessed their deaths. I was able to escape death because I fled to this country, in which I feel safe. So, with deep pain and sadness, I was forced to leave El Salvador, in order to protect my life. My two sisters live in New Jersey and my daughter lives in Dallas, Texas. I thought I would be able to move on and forget everything by taking refuge in vices. Evidently, what I gained from that was to worsen my life, because it only brought negative consequences, which are now reflected in all aspects of my life. I took on the habit of drinking to forget, and to feel for a moment that I could move on. 5
On November 27th, 2019, I was transferred to Essex County, in Newark. I was pleading for an opportunity to remain in the country through asylum. In the midst of my suffering and the tragedy that I lived through, I tested positive for antibodies of COVID19 and they kept me quarantined for 15 days. They didn't care for me at all during that time. They didn’t care knowing I have high blood pressure and other symptoms, and I was at risk of dying in lockdown. I haven't received the treatment that I deserve. After some days, I was transferred to Bergen County Jail, to a dirty jail cell with critters and mice, the food was terrible, the sheriffs were racist, and we were kept inside 22 hours a day. They only gave us two hours per day to go [outside]. At one point I started a hunger strike that lasted 26 days. Even during those 26 days of only drinking water and having fainted twice, ICE still didn't care. Instead, ICE threatened to take me to the hospital to force feed me. 6
I am not an animal to be treated like this, I am a human being and I have the right to have another chance. On December 11th, 2020, I was transferred here to Miami, Florida in retaliation. I am still under ICE custody, waiting to get parole so I can continue fighting my case from outside. And I'm thankful that my testimony will be heard. March 17, 2021 - 11 days on hunger strike Right now, I am detained at the Krome Detention Center in Miami. At this moment, I am in a hunger strike. I began on March 7th and I continue waiting for my conditional freedom. I have not eaten anything in 11 days, I have only drank water. Nothing else. I am not drinking any other liquid, not juice or milk. I have not received any response from ICE.
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The doctor visited me a couple of days ago to tell me that if my glucose levels drop below 60 -- my levels have ranged between 74-75 -- I am at risk of dying. I only ask ICE to please consider me. I am very weak at the moment. My stomach really hurts, it burns. My back hurts, as well as my head. I ask, please have mercy on me. Also, they come here periodically to tell me, to pressure me, eat, eat. I feel pressured because I have not taken any food. I am only holding on to the moment when I receive good news so that I can finally be free.
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MARVIN'S SISTER MARCH 25 2021 Read the interview with Marvin's sister in which she recounts the story of her father and brother's deaths. TW: death, violence
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Life before We had a normal life. We lived well. We weren’t millionaires. But we had everything we needed. My dad worked very hard, together with my brothers. He had a truck, and he would drive it to Nicaragua to bring cheese. He just did the transport, the trip. The merchandise was not my dad's. His trips to Nicaragua usually took him 3 to 4 days. He carried a lot of money, which was from the cheese, it was what he transported. And he always took my two brothers around to help him, they worked together. In fact, they were all doing very well, because my brother had gotten married 2 months before, my brother who is currently detained. He had a beautiful wife. Everything, everything was fine. Until the day my dad and older brother were killed.
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Day of Shooting That day was July 27, 1998. They were driving to Nicaragua and stopped at a gas station to fill up the tank. This guy was already putting gas in his car before my dad. They knew each other, my dad actually even held him as a kid. But the boy, he had a bad reputation, he was a rapist, he was on a bad path, you know?. My older brother got out of the truck, they greeted each other and everything. He was going to get out of the way. When my older brother got back to the truck, that's what he said to my dad and my younger brother, that the boy who was there was going to take off. But he spent a long time and he did not take off. He didn't take off, my older brother got out of the truck again, and that's when he shot him. He shot him like it was nothing. He shot him twice. My dad and my younger brother were seeing that, and my dad's reaction was to get out of the truck too, to see what happened, or something. And when he got off, he shot my dad too. But my dad [starting to cry:] died instantly, instantly. 11
And he [the man who shot father] also pointed his gun at my brother, the one who’s here [detained in the U.S.], but he dropped the magazine. My brother tells us that he just ducked down because he felt that he was gonna get killed too. And my younger brother no longer heard gunshots or anything. He came up again and saw that the man fled. So what my younger brother did was to help my father. He called his wife, his wife arrived in another car; they put my dad like that in the car. It was a pickup truck and they put him on the truck bed floor, like that, just imagine. And they also took my sister out of school, she was in class, she was near there and they took him to the hospital. Meanwhile, my older brother was more “cholo”, he was stronger. So, even with the two shots that he got, he was still alive, he drove the truck and took himself to the hospital.
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Reflection It was horrible. Losing two loved ones was something that… Maybe someone would say “that happened in '98, two people that no one knows”, maybe no one cares. Only we know what we really went through. Especially my brother, the one who is detained, because he saw all that, he lived through all that happened there and since then his life has changed. Because he never got any help from a professional or something, he never had any therapy. He needed my dad obviously, and my brother. And everything that happened, he felt so helpless for not being able to do anything. Day of shooting - brother tells mom dad is dead That day, my mother was in the house with me when my brother, the one who is detained, came to tell us what happened. I will never forget that day, I was 13 years old. and he was in a white shirt, but his shirt was completely red with my dad's blood. 13
My dad had already died. And he came screaming, [crying] "where is my mom?" And my mother was coming out of the bathroom, she was putting on her shirt. And he said to her: "Mom, they killed my dad." I saw that she was just holding onto her stomach and saying, "Now what am I going to do?” And they all left, they all left, and they left me alone in the house. I didn't really know what was going on. I only heard my brother saying that they had killed my dad. But I didn't believe it. It was something that I didn't... I couldn't even mourn my dad's death. It was something I couldn't believe. Day of shooting - brother dies at the hospital They took my brother to San Miguel because he was seriously ill but he was alive. So my mom says that she accompanied him to the hospital in that city and he asked her about my dad. He asked her, "How is my dad?" 14
So, even in his anguish he was still asking about my dad. Because my older brother also saw that my dad was shot. And my mom told him that he was alive. Then he stayed in the hospital. My mom had to go back to the house, and now the house was completely empty. About an hour later, they told us that my brother had also died. Reflection - Impact on family It was very hard. It was very hard. To tell the truth, yes, it was very hard. I do not wish it to anyone. Losing two loved ones is very hard. From there, we were left totally alone. Everything was very different. My mother no longer wanted my brother to go to Nicaragua, she wanted him to stop doing that [transporting merchandise]. My mom had never worked. We began to run out of money. She started selling all the things that my dad had left, his truck, his car. And little by little, we were out of money. My aunts from here, they helped my sister to come to this country. Because, well, there was no more -- my dad was gone. 15
Whole Family is threatened and unsafe And besides that, my brother didn’t think of anything other than “where is that man?” That man, together with an uncle of his, also threatened my brother saying that if he did not leave there, he was going to start killing us, the sisters, too. My brother decided to go to another city, to Soyapango, with an aunt. And after that, that's when he came here, to this country. That same year, in '98. We also moved from there, because we were very scared. We were very afraid that he would do something to us too. And my sister also came to this country. I couldn’t continue studying after high school, I couldn’t go to the University. We didn't have money. There was no money, my dad was gone. Everything changed completely for us. And my mom has suffered a lot as well. Mom Files Police Report: Police didn't keep them safe My mom filed the complaint. In fact, I have the report of all that here with me, because I asked my mother for it. 16
I sent it to my brother so that he could present it to the court. But it is a pity that they do not see things, well in detail, because everything is there. The whole truth is in there. It is written in the report, it even says that my dad died instantly. That even his heart, supposedly, was reached [by one of the bullets] and split in two when he got shot. All of that is in the report. I have it with me. But that went unpunished. In other words, you can’t trust the authorities there for anything. They did nothing. Impact on brother: family separated since they lost father and brother My brother changed completely, he started to drink and when he drank he said that if he saw this man, well, that he wanted to kill him. He would only think things like that, he was different. And he took refuge in drinking. It wasn't that he was drinking like that every day. But it was something he had never done before. That’s what happened here in this country. 17
He drank and he also knew that we could no longer live in El Salvador. Because we all came here. We are all here, those of us who remain. We were two females, two males and here we were the three of us. Since my dad and my brother died, we have never been together again. We have all been apart. And so it happened that one day my brother started drinking and the police stopped him. That was his big ... mistake. And now that he is in custody, he calls me and he says that he has learned his lesson. Second chance. He's been punished enough I think we all deserve a second chance. I would like him to be released and be with my sister, my mother, since only the three of us are left. He's going to come out, he's going to change, he's already changed now. I feel so. He has already been detained too long. He has learned his lesson, apart from the suffering that we have had because they killed my father and my brother. 18
If Deported ... If my brother gets deported, he will be in danger there [In El Salvador]. Because that man is still there. Some neighbors that I don't know, I don't know who they are, they tell my mom they've seen him. And, actually there in the same neighborhood, he killed a boy about five months ago. He shot that boy seven times, and he was also a neighbor. I am sure that if my brother goes to El Salvador, they will kill him too. My hope is… I wish my brother could get out because it is a suffering that my mother and my sister and I have. There is not a day that I don’t ask God to help him get out of there. That he moves the hearts of the people who have to make the decision so that he can get out of there. And I will receive my brother in my house. I will have him here in my house. And I promise to help him too. Help him, take him to his court appointments if necessary, so he can fight his case from outside. 19
ANSON DATALOS MARCH 2021 Anson, from Haiti and currently under ICE custody at Essex County Jail, began his hunger strike on March 12th to demand his freedom. Anson has already faced repression from the guards & is risking his health for his freedom. Anson has kidney issues and fears he may go into kidney failure should his strike continue for a prolonged amount of time. He cannot risk deportation to Haiti.
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My name is Anson Datalos and I am detained in Essex County [Jail]. I won my case and ICE appealed, so I started the hunger strike. I'm not a convict. They may deport me and I am still doing it [the hunger strike]. They could release me. I need to go home to go to my kids, my family. Because they live here [the US]. So I hope everything is OK.
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ALEX LEGASOV MARCH 2021 Alex, from the former USSR and currently under ICE custody at Krome Processing Center in Miami, started a hunger strike on March 11 and a water strike on March 14 to demand his freedom. Alex has no country of origin to return to if deported. He is far from his family and home in Florida. He is almost 60 years old and has a host of medical issues, including high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. He could lose his vision at any moment, and states his vision is already getting blurry. Despite deciding to drink water again, on 3/26/21, he was put on suicide watch (i.e. solitary confinement) and denied water and medication. They had stripped off his clothes and moved him to be watched. On 3/31/21, his ex-wife reported that he was beaten by the guards twice, taken to the hospital, then transferred to Krome in Miami. 22
My name is Alex Legasov and I am resident of state of Florida. I came to United States in 1993 actually I came from modern Russia. I came from Soviet Union. My country does not exist anymore. Now ICE, they try to deport me to Russia, and I’m on hunger strike and water strike now because I am ___ system and this case supposed to ___ but I can’t understand why they keep me in custody because I never ever been violent towards them. I never ever became violent; not even violent crimes or any violent action. I am older guy I am almost 60 years old. I got a lot of medical complications, a lot of medical problems and I am not asking ICE to close my case tomorrow. The case show must go on, please do your job; but please let me go home. I got family, I got job, I got house, I got everything I got very very strong ties to community, I never you can ask my community. They know me like, very peaceful and nonviolent and very good man. And let me go home please, let me stay there but ___ eventually the __ make decision I don’t belong this country, I will never resist. 23
It’s not my lifestyle, I’m not spy I cannot hide myself. I have my plans to leave; I probably move to Russia, maybe different country, but I believe it takes long time - maybe 1 year maybe 2 years maybe even 5 years, no body knows. I spoke to ICE maybe 10 times and they agreed with me - yes, very very long wait to finish my case. Please let me go home and let me stay home, let see my family, let me see my wife, my son, let me work, let me support my family. I think it’s -- I’m not stupid, I’m not crazy, and I’m not asking quite crazy things I think my request is very reasonable . Thank you.
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WILSON PEÑA LOJO MARCH 2021 Wilson Peña Lojo, from Guatemala, currently detained at Buffalo Detention Center in Batavia, NY, has been wrongly held in ICE custody for over two years during which he has sustained abuse and injury. He began his hunger strike on March 4th. He is striking for his freedom and will not stop until he is free. TW: sexual abuse, physical abuse
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March 24, 2021 I have 2 years, 25 months to be in immigration, detained by immigration and in Essex county (jail) I was sexually and physically abused by the about 17 guards on May 17th 2019 and despite all of that I continued to be detained and also I had Coronavirus for 22 days in Essex County (jail) and apart from all of that also I conducted a hunger strike for 28 days in Bergen County in an attempt for ICE to free me but they didn’t pay attention to that. And what they did was transfer me to Buffalo in Batavia NY and they have me in center called Buffalo Federal detention facility and here too I have conducted a hunger strike 20 days ago (As of 3/24/2021). And today in the morning I was to the point of dying because I fainted and the guards had to hold me against a wall. From there they transferred to the infirmary and I have a lot harms.
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I have Chronic hyperthyroidism, gastritis, I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. For these reasons I am conducting a hunger strike. The abuse I have suffered in ICE are excessive. So I ask that you support me and help me. Because I need support. I have been harmed so much and I need special medical care upon leaving this place and also physical therapy for all the harm I sustained by the Guards at Essex County Jail. Sorry, My name is Wilson Peña Lojo. I am from Guatemala and I also have two kids outside, one who is six years old and the other eight years old, who need me. And, apart from that I have my sick mom in Guatemala who needs me to help her and my A# is 087-382-768. You can look at my case. There is no problem with that.
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TAKE ACTION!
Ways to Help
Make some phone calls today to demand people's freedom. Go to bit.ly/freethemallsp21 to access the phone zap toolkit or scan the QR code above to access the phone zap zine. Follow the Abolish ICE NY/NJ Coalition on social media for updates (Instagram/Twitter: @abolishice_nynj, Facebook: /AbolishICEnynj) Donate to the families of the former Bergen County Jail hunger strikers at bit.ly/BCJHS2020 Support Marcial Morales. Go to bit.ly/MarcialNeedsUs or Venmo @rw4bl_ to donate to Marcial, an immigrant rights activist and former hunger striker at the Bergen County jail. Donate to the Hackensack River St Mutual Aid Food Distribution Program: Cashapp $HackensackRiverMA Volunteer with Hackensack River Mutual Aid! Email hackensackrivermutualaid@gmail.com to learn how to get involved.
Scan the QR code with your phone to read this zine online APRIL 2021
Volunteer with Ridgewood for Black Liberation by signing up at bit.ly/getinvolvedrw4bl Read Border & Rule and Undoing Border Imperialism by Harsha Walia to learn more about border imperialism. 28
