Mother Joins Detainees on Hunger Strike at Port Isabel

Southwest Workers' Union
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Indefinite Hunger Strike at the Port Isabel Detention Center in Los Fresnos, TX:
“Fast For Our Families” in Front of the Port Isabel Detention Center

Press Conference Feb. 08, 2010 @ 1PM in front of Congressman Ortiz Office Building
(1805 Ruben Torres, B-27 Brownsville, TX)

February 08, 2010
CONTACT: Anayanse Garza, 956.207.2571, SWU RGV

Zoila Molina goes on Hunger Strike with son Ronald Molina, who is being detained at Port Isabel Detention Center, to stop the separation of her family.

Los Fresnos, TX- On Monday, February 8, 2010 Zoila Molina will be fasting in solidarity with her son Ronald Molina, who is being detained at Port Isabel Detention Center. Zoila Molina will hold a press conference in front of Congressman Solomon Ortiz's office at noon today, February 8, announcing her decision to fast with her son.

Zoila and Ronald will be on fasting to protest the inhumane conditions of immigration detention and the unjust immigration system. They are requesting that Ronald be released from Port Isabel Detention Center and allowed to go back home to Florida to be with his family and ailing mother.

At 11 a.m. Zoila will meet with Congressman Ortiz to address the abuse her son has suffered since his detention at PIDC, particularly the retaliation he has suffered as a Hunger Striker, and to request a meeting with Acting Director of ICE’s Office of Detention Policy and Planning Phyllis Coven, who will be touring the Willacy Detention Facility Monday, February 8.

This will be the second Hunger Strike Ronald will have participated in; Ronald, with over 60 other detainees, participated in the mass Hunger Strike in Solidarity with the March Against Arpaio in Arizona, in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s struggle, and in support of the Fast For Our Families, Jean Montrevil and the People of Haiti, last month. As a result of his decision to Hunger Strike, Ronald, along with the other Hunger Strikers, suffered from much abuse and retaliation, including intimidation, isolation/segregation, and denial of phone calls/contact with family members, friends and organizations, thereby cutting them off from all support. Among the strikers and supporters are Haitians who are not certain what their fate at the hands of ICE will be since they have not yet been released from detention.

In spite of retaliation of Hunger Strikers and their families by ATSI Guards and ICE, the Hunger Strike continues indefinitely at PIDC, with Roland Molina being one of many detainees who continue to cry out for a world where Justice and Human Rights for everyone, including immigrants, is possible.

THE REASONS LISTED FOR THE HUNGER STRIKE WERE:
~ Solidarity with the People of Haiti in their time of greatest need
~ Solidarity with Comprehensive Immigration Reform
~ Solidarity with the Fast For Our Families in Miami, Florida and Jean Montrevil and his family in New York
~ Solidarity with the March against Sherriff Arpaio and against his abuse of authority and militarization of the US-Mexico border
~ Respect Human Rights

THEY CALL FOR:
1. Suspend the detention and deportation of immigrants with U.S. citizen children, spouses, and immigrant students until there is resolution on the passage of comprehensive immigration reform;
2. Work permits for immigrants with U.S. citizen children and spouses whose detention and deportation have been suspended until there is resolution in Congress on the passage of immigration reform;
3. Creation of an honest, transparent process by which the best interests of communities, families, and children are weighed before detaining and deporting any individual;
4. The right to Due Process;
5. End the abuse of Human Rights in detention (lack of medical access, indefinite detention, inadequate food, physical and verbal abuse);
6. End the unjust deportation;
7. End raids on immigrant communities.

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More coverage of the hunger strike at Port Isabel:

Hungering for Justice at the Port Isabel Immigration Detention Facility
Texas Observer, 2/10/10
http://www.texasobserver.org/lalinea/hungering-for-justice-at-the-port-isabel-immigration-detention-facility

Hunger Strike at Immigration Detention Center Still Going Strong at Two Weeks
Restore Fairness website, 2/4/10
http://restorefairness.org/tag/port-isabel-detention-facility/

Immigrants in Texas detention center begin hunger strike
Free Speech Radio News, 2/1/10
http://fsrn.org/audio/immigrants-texas-detention-center-begin-hunger-strike/6141