FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2020
CONTACT: Sam Yu | syu@nakasec.org | 213-703-0992
“We demand the IMMEDIATE RELEASE of all detained immigrants due to the coronavirus outbreak!”
Chicago, IL – On March 4, 2020 the World Health Organization declared that “coronavirus (COVID-19)” is a global pandemic. To lessen the spread of COVID-19, national advisories implored folks to take extra health precautions such as washing one’s hands regularly and avoiding heavily crowded areas where risk of exposure to the virus is much higher.
Despite the clear pandemic that is impacting the entire globe, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is still conducting routine check-ins, enacting raids, and placing our people in detention centers notorious for overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. This places thousands of human lives at risk of being infected with the coronavirus and spreading it rapidly. The impact this could have on our community members will be devastating.
Esther Jeon, DACA recipient and Community Organizing & Advocacy Coordinator with NAKASEC, expressed:
“We know that the detention centers holding our people hostage are severely crowded, filthy, and run by a rogue agency that refuses to see the humanity of immigrants. We see them demonstrating their indifference towards our lives yet again by continuing to terrorize our community members with ICE check-ins, raids, and detention while a viral pandemic is racking our world. This COVID-19 outbreak serves as yet another reminder of the urgency with which ICE must be abolished NOW.”
For the sake of all the lives at risk, we demand that ICE IMMEDIATELY release ALL detained people to the safety of their families and communities. Many of the folks detained are senior citizens, people with chronic health issues, and others who are most susceptible to the virus. We also demand for the complete abolishment of ICE who is only adding more fuel to the fire in this public health crisis. Furthermore, we implore the Department of Homeland Security to suspend all ICE check-ins, court hearings, and other immigration proceedings as they bring our people into crowded public spaces, placing them at risk.
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Founded in 1994, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)’s mission is to organize Korean and Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice. NAKASEC maintains offices in Annandale, Virginia, Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. NAKASEC has affiliates in Chicago (HANA Center), Los Angeles and Orange County (Korean Resource Center), Philadelphia (Woori Center), and Virginia (NAKASEC VA).
