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Dear John,
I have great news to share. Paola* and her one-year-old baby Jose* have been released from the notorious Dilley family detention center.
Paola and Jose came to the U.S. seeking safety from violence and persecution and were instead thrown behind bars. While detained in a Customs and Border Protection facility, Jose became very ill and was sent to hospital for five days where he was put on a machine to breathe. When he could breathe on his own, he and his mom were sent to an ICE family detention facility in Dilley, Texas where his health deteriorated again, suffering a cough and restricted breathing.
Paola’s and Jose’s release is due to the relentless advocacy of his lawyers and sustained pressure from activists like us who believe that a parent and their child deserve humanitarian parole while they fight for their right to seek asylum.
As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed urgency to Amnesty’s work advocating for immigrants and asylum-seekers who are detained in crowded conditions with inadequate access to basic hygiene and medical care.
While we celebrate Paola’s and Jose’s release, we must not forget that more than a hundred families and tens of thousands of individuals are trapped in ICE detention centers with negligent care and protection. Amnesty won’t stop until every last family is free.
Here are two ways you can help:
- Sign the petition to demand ICE to free all families together from detention
- Send an email to ICE Acting Director Matthew Albence to urge him to free people in detention and protect them from COVID-19
I cannot thank you enough for being with us at this crucial time. With your help, we can act in this small window of time to help those who are desperately in need, and create a more caring and rights-respecting world for everyone.
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