Day of Action

On June 26, 2018, Genesis youth interns and leaders attended the "Day of Action at West County Detention Facility" in Richmond, CA. Genesis team members, fellow participants, and organizations wanted to stand together as a coalition in protest towards the separation of families and the violation of immigrant rights. This ICE facility is operated by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's office where about 200 immigrants are detained. This is what we learned:

1) Recently, one of the deputies was arrested and charged for the sexual assault of two detained persons.

2) Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston will not permit local organizations and elected officials to inspect the facility.

We showed up to this Day of Action to stand for the human rights and dignity of immigrants within the facility and around the world calling Sheriff David Livingston to allow individuals to inspect the facility and ensure the detainees can receive the care and support each human is entitled to.

While at the Day of Action, we chanted, protested with picket lines, and joined together and educated one another with many core leaders from different organizations speaking up. Chants included “The people united will never be divided” and “Above with liberation, down down with deportation.” When the crowd joined together, some of the individuals talked about the inability to take a "middle ground" on an issue tearing children and families apart.

The current racial disparities in the United States justice system contribute to mass incarceration of people of color and currently make it so that families and children are being torn away from each other. We need our elected officials to show support for these individuals being stripped of their human rights and dignity. If you are in support of ensuring this facility be inspected to ensure these rights, call our Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein. Here are the following numbers:

Senator Kamala Harris: 415-981-9369

Senator Dianne Feinstein: 415-393-0707