All immigrants deserve to seek immigration relief in the care of their beloved communities and with access to resources. Studies by the American Immigration Council (AIC) revealed that between Fiscal Years (FY) 2008 through 2018, 83% of all non-detained immigrants with a completed or pending removal case attended all their court hearings. This shows that when given the opportunity, most immigrants are maximizing their time outside of detention and following through with their cases. Detention is NEVER necessary, most American voters agree with this. According to a survey by the ACLU, 68% of voters do not support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement “ICE” detention and believe that contracts with profit, private prisons (such as Geo Group Inc) should end. The Adelanto Detention Facility should not be the exception. ICE has been detaining immigrants at the Adelanto Detention Facility for over a decade under the management of private prison corporation GEO Group. This facility is among the largest and the worst detention centers as evidenced by the multiple deaths and dozens of sexual allegations that have been reported since it opened in 2011.
 

ICE and GEO group have failed to provide adequate care even with the massive amount of funding that has been allocated. The COVID-19 pandemic further attested to the inhumanity of keeping this detention facility open. In 2020, The Shut Down Adelanto Coalition began to expose a long list of environmental hazards that have long existed in the facility, such as the misuse of a cleaning chemical (pesticide) called HDQ Neutral, contaminated water, and horrible air quality coming from other toxic sites in close proximity to the detention center. Just this week the Social Justice Legal Foundation submitted a lawsuit in Federal court against GEO group for their negligence and blatant disregard of immigrants' health while in their care. To make matters worse, GEO group has continuously lied to the public and the residents of Adelanto by making false promises while committing human rights violations. One thing is clear, we cannot continue to allow our federal government to waste taxpayer dollars. 
 

The only appropriate decision is to Shut Down Adelanto once and for all. This is the time for our elected officials to move toward a humane immigration system that promotes healthy communities. The Shut Down Adelanto coalition invites you to be a part of this movement to demand the just closure of the Adelanto Detention Facility! The first step to a brighter, healthier, and sustainable future.