ACLU holds vigil in Mason for ICE detainees in nearby detention center
MASON, Tenn. (WMC) - The ACLU of Tennessee partnered with local organizations Sunday afternoon for a vigil to recognize those being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the West Tennessee Detention Center, believing the facility is holding people who were wrongfully detained.
“A lot of them have been detained without due process. And we want them and their families to know that they are not forgotten,” said Dr. Cathryn Stout of ACLU-TN.
The detention center reopened and began housing ICE detainees after a contested vote by the Mason Board of Aldermen approving a contract with private-prison company CoreCivic, a deal some Mason residents still oppose.
“This is not what we’re looking for, to mistreat our neighbors and friends and family, our church members,” said Eloise Lynk-Thompson, a Mason resident.
Shannon Whitfield, another Mason resident, said she was concerned about employment opportunities tied to the facility.
“I’m concerned that the best opportunities some of my neighbors can find for employment, they would have to consider engaging with CoreCivic in taking action against their fellow human beings. I think we can do better for Mason. We can have better jobs in the area,” Whitfield said.
While sharing their concerns with the impact ICE detentions have in immigrant communities, organizers also called out CoreCivic for its history of federal investigations and accusations of civil rights violations.
“CoreCivic is a for-profit company. So they profit off of having bodies, black and brown people specifically, most often, in custody,” said Rachel Wilson of West Tennessee for the People.
The vigil comes after the latest Memphis Safe Task Force arrest numbers show that the Department of Homeland Security made over 300 arrests last month for immigration-related administrative warrants.
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