Don Hutto: "How the ICE Stole Christmas"

Originally posted on Citizen Orange

I'm proud to have another link in the pro-migrant blogroll, today.  T. Don Hutto is a blog "dedicated to providing information on the growing movement to shut
down Hutto and prevent this model of immigrant detention from spreading
nationally". 

The "Don Hutto Family Residential Facility", was the first prison designed specifically for immigrant families.  It is run by the Corrections Corporation of America, the U.S.'s largest for-profit corrections company.   If the thought of profiting from one of the largest prison populations in the world isn't sickening enough, check out the information the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has on the Hutto Detention Center.  The letter I've pasted here, from a detained child identified as Kevin to the Canadian Prime Minister, has haunted my dreams.  I will quote it below.

(Picture from the American Civil Liberties Union)

Dear
Mr. Prime minister haper I don’t like to stay in this jail. I’m only
nine years old. I want to go to my school in Canada. I’m sleeping
beside the wall. Please Mr. Priminister haper give visa for my family.
This place is not good for me. I want to get out of the cell. Just
pleace give visa for my family. My home land is in Canada, My life is
over there. I’m also sleeping beside wasroom. Mr. Priminister haper
pleace bring me and my family to Canada. Thank you so much.

Improvements have been made to the Hutto detention center in efforts to make it humane. However, I still maintain that detaining migrant children and their families for extended periods of time, people who have otherwise committed no crime, will never be humane no matter what the conditions inside the prison are.  The ACLU agrees:

Despite the tremendous improvements at Hutto, the facility retains its
essential character: it was a medium security prison managed by the
Corrections Corporation of America, a for-profit adult corrections
company. The ACLU remains adamant that detaining immigrant children at
Hutto is inappropriate and calls on Congress to compel DHS to find
humane alternatives for managing families whose immigration status is
in limbo.

The reason I decided to write a post today is because the T. Don Hutto blog is advertising a Toy Drive for the kids in the Hutto Detention Center.  I thought it would be a good thing to plant in people's minds as we all do our christmas shopping.  Don't forget the kids in the Hutto detention center and the millions of migrants everywhere that don't have a full place in this world. 

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