Posted at https://cliniclegal.org/diapersindetention
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Family detention is the incarceration of asylum-seeking mothers and children, mostly from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. There are three such facilities in the United States, in Berks County, Pennsylvania; Karnes City and Dilley, Texas. These “baby jails” feature prison-like portable units equipped with multiple bunk beds, heavy iron doors, and are surrounded by fencing.
Imagine being an infant or small child who spends a month being toted by your frightened mother across several countries in an arduous search for safety in a new land, only to spend part of their childhood in jail; stripped of possessions like baby blankets and binkies, cut off from all relatives but their mother and young siblings.
We want to end family detention to ensure that families are still kept together. To let ICE know what people think about family detention, we’ve arranged ways for people like you to participate across the country. Whether you want to help us arrange a “baby shower” at each ICE field office or send an ironic congratulations card to the Director of ICE, we have a way for you to stand up for these children. Here is how you can participate:
Download a flier at https://cliniclegal.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/diapersindetention/diaper-flier.pdf to print and share with your friends!
Also see Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Resources: http://engage.uusc.org/uusc/app/onestep-write-a-letter?0&engagementId=235733
Arrange a “baby shower”: Help us arrange a “baby shower”—complete with balloons and shower-related trappings—at each of the local ICE offices and detention facilities across the country during the week of August 29-September 1. These peaceful demonstrations will help alert the public that ICE is holding infants in their detention centers.
Join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/diapersindetention to meet up with people in your area. (Not on Facebook? Let us know you are interested on our sign up form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckcA0gHtUgErAwxm630_yo7K6BUYjGUxpMl2yLQVXELFoH2w/viewform and we will coordinate with you directly.)
Draft Press Statement: https://cliniclegal.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/diapersindetention/draft-press-statement.docx
Script for Contacting ICE ERO Office or Local Detention Facility: https://cliniclegal.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/diapersindetention/script-for-contacting-ice-ero-office-or-local-detention-facility.docx
Media and Grassroots Toolkit: https://cliniclegal.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/diapersindetention/diapers-in-detention-how-to.pdf
Send a card: If you are not near one of the ICE offices or a family detention facility, pick up a baby shower card at the drugstore, write a message that says “As a person of faith, I ask you to end family detention. No more diapers in detention!” and send it to: The Honorable Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C. 20528
Before you drop it in the mailbox, take a picture of it and tag it on social media with #DiapersInDetention to spread the word about this issue.
You could also consider hosting a card writing party. Invite your friends and coworkers to fill out cards with you. Take pictures of the cards you are making and post them on social media with the hashtag #DiapersInDetention.
Media and Grassroots Toolkit: https://cliniclegal.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/diapersindetention/diapers-in-detention-how-to.pdf
Send a letter to the editor to your local paper: Send a letter to the editor to your local paper, especially if you live in a city with an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations office or a detention center. Send a letter to the editor to your local newspaper at fcnl.org/endfamilydetention.
Sample Letter to the Editor: https://cliniclegal.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/diapersindetention/sample-letter-to-the-editor.docx
Send an email: Take a minute and send an email to your local ICE office. We want local ICE offices to know what constituents in their area think. Send an email now at uusc.org/diapersindetention (http://engage.uusc.org/uusc/app/onestep-write-a-letter?2&engagementId=235733).
Advocate for us on social media: Let your friends know that you want an end to family detention. Use the graphics at the end of this post in your social media posts (click each image below and then right click to ‘save image as’). Don’t forget to tag your posts with #diapersindetention.
Website: https://cliniclegal.org/DiapersInDetention : Find all the resources and advice you need here (includes social media graphics, which are also attached)
Letter to the editor: http://www.capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=73497626&type=ME: Use this tool to identify your local papers and send a pre-written letter to the editor (which you can customize) about this issue.Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/diapersindetention: Find people in your area to arrange a baby shower with
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