On August 21, over 200 people detained at Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington began a hunger strike and work stoppage. The strike is confirmed by at least three pods inside the facility. This is the third hunger strike undertaken by detainees in 2018 alone. Northwest Detention Center is operated on behalf of ICE by GEO Group, a for-profit prison company. NWDC is one of the largest immigration prisons in the United States.

Detainees report lack of medical attention and adequate food, are coerced to work to maintain the facility for $1/day, and are denied contact with their families. ICE and GEO have attempted to suppress previous protests through threats, physical violence, solitary confinement and outright lies: in July of this year, GEO guards falsely announced a fire in one unit, luring protesters into intake in order to interrogate them.

Your support is needed for hunger strikers inside NWDC! The strikers and their outside support group, NWDC Resistance, invite us to push ICE to meet the demands of the strikers and that GEO not retaliate against individuals on strike. Please share widely with your networks!

* * * * PHONE ZAP DETAILS * * * *

Make your calls on 
MONDAY, August 27
9:00am -5:00pm PST

Call ICE and tell them to:
1. Meet the hunger strikers' demands
2. Not retaliate against hunger strikers

STRIKE DEMANDS:
- Minimum wage for work inside NWDC
- Contact visits with children & family
- Adequate food & health care

CALL
1. Acting Field Director, Bryan S. Wilcox, (206) 835-0650 Ext. 2
2. Assistant Field Director (Detention), William Penaloza, (253) 779-6000 Dial Ext 1, wait for message, then dial 4

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“Hello, I would like to speak with [Field Director Bryan Wilcox / Assistant Field Director William Penaloza] about the demands issued by NWDC detainees.

Have you agreed to meet with detainees regarding their demands for minimum wage, family visits, and health care?

Detainees have reported that guards are not giving them full portions of food and are not providing them with medical attention. People who are simply awaiting a court date are not allowed any contact with their families. We know that guards are allowing fights to break out in these inhumane conditions. 

The people on strike are demanding minimum wage for their labor inside Northwest Detention Center. They are demanding contact visits with their families.

I am calling to request that you immediately meet the demands of the hunger strikers. I also demand that GEO not retaliate against hunger strikers by attempting to break the strike. You are responsible for the safety of people in your custody, and meeting their demands is the only way to improve their conditions.

Will you agree to meet the demands of detainees?”

* * * * * * * * 

As always, please report back with any responses you receive or other pertinent info. @IWW_IWOC on twitter or in the comment box below.

NOTE: ICE is currently denying the existence of a hunger strike and will claim that detainees consume food from commissary. This is false. Because detainees are paid $1/day, they must save to purchase commissary items in advance. This does not mean that they are consuming them.