Rally blasts Trump’s migrant detention

Tacoma, Washington

Some 500 people rallied at the Northwest Detention Center on  Sept. 1 to protest Trump’s treatment of migrants  here. The rally was one of the largest ever held at the Tacoma prison, which has been the site of many rallies over the years.

The International Migrant’s Alliance (IMA) had held a conference in Portland, Oregon, some 150 miles away, and many people traveled from there to attend the rally.

The IMA is an international anti-imperialist alliance of migrants that is heavily involved in opposing imperialist wars and economic injustice. The IMA opposes the exploitation that leads to the migration of people around the world.  La Resistencia of Tacoma hosted the rally.

The Tacoma prison is the fourth-largest prison for migrants in the country. It’s owned and operated by Geo Corp. Right now, it’s bursting with 2,000 detainees, despite having a capacity of only 1,500.

Speaking at the rally, a prisoner’s spouse said that the people incarcerated there are not just detainees, they’re parents. They’re fathers and mothers, children, and sons and daughters.  They are part of a community that demands their freedom.

She said, “Migration is a right, not a crime!” She said that many people inside receive no medical attention at all.

Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland Association of Teachers with 4,500 members, spoke in support of migrant workers. She said that her union is part of Oregon Rising, a coalition of community and labor organizations, which works to restore the wealth and rights stolen from them by the system.

Crystal Lendonio, the spouse of Maximo Lendonio, a Machinist Union member who has been imprisoned for several months at the Detention Center, spoke.  A Machinist Union representative said the union fully supports Lendonio.

The cheers and chants from this large rally easily reached the prison and encouraged the prisoners.