A copy of the letter that was received by FANG (which includes a full list of recipients) can be viewed and downloaded here.

To whom it might concern:

The I.C.E. detainee of unit B of the Bristol County Correctional Center, individually and collectively would like to highlight serious concerns about the outbreak of the COVID-19 Virus within the facility of Bristol Correctional Center. The facility safety conditions and the condition of it’s personnel, in light of two recent and separate episodes have raised the concern into a very serious matter.

Specifically, on March 14, 2020 a Correctional Officer was observed to be symptomatic of the COVID-19 Virus during his shift. He never returned to unit B leaving all detainees very worried. The second C.O. that showed symptom was on March 16, 2020 and was later replaced by a collegue to then return with coughing and sneezing.

Those two separate and serious episode recently occurred have alarmed the entire detainee population of unit B and prompted a number of detainees to file their own Sick Call/Medical Encounter Request.

On March 22, 2020 C.O. Aylwart during a conversation with one of the detainees stated the following “You don’t get it, this [coronavirus] is nothing more than a flu” missing the gravity of the situation entirely. Once told the current situation the Italy is experiencing he dismissed the topic entirely. This naive behavior is of a grave concern of us. How can we be sure that this CO adheres the Federal recommendations when he totally ignores the existence of the Covid-19? His behavior was reckless to say the least.

Unit B in c, omprised of sixty-ix (66) beds, fifty-seven (57) of them occupied, one of them filled as recently as less than a week ago.

Our concerns are the following:

1. The reckless behavior of the two separate Correctional Officers that reported for duty showing symptom of the COVID-19 Virus created extreme alarm and anxiety among all detainees.
2. The naive behavior of C.O. Aylwart created fear and anxiety among us and should not be permitted.
3. The lack of reassurance from top management that those officers posed no risk to us is unacceptable. We need for ICE to assure us all that we are safe here.
4. The overcrowded living conditions of the detainees in unit B, fifty-seven (57) to be precise is in net contrast with State mandatory guidelines of max 25 and Federal guidelines of a max of 10. This is unacceptable to the health and wellbeing of all detainees. On March 15, 2020 a note was posted in the unit by Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson’s office stating among other the following: “…Given the close quarters and need for daily contact, our correctional facilities and jail are extremely vulnerable for resident, staff, volunteers, and visitors to become infected.” The three (3) feet distance between bunk beds is in net contrast with the mandatory six (6) feet safety distance between individuals. On March 22, 2020 Sec. of Homeland Security Chad Wolf in a televised interview stated the following when referring to ICE detention centers: “There is a serious danger for the officers” as if detenees are somehow immune from contractig the Covid-19 through correctional officers as vehicle.
5. On March 18, 2020 at around 12:00pm medical personell in their unofficial vest stated that the infection of the whole ICE facility population is inevitable and will occur within the next 30 days. Such statement spreaded faster than the virus itself among detainees that are now extremely agitated and panicking.

Accordingly, it is imperative that the following measures should be implemented effectively immediately:

Full letter text:

To whom it might concern:

The I.C.E. detainees of unit B of the Bristol County Correctional Center, individually and collectively would like to highlight serious concerns about the outbreak of the COVID-19 Virus within the facility of the Bristol Correctional Center. 

The facility safety conditions and the conditions of it’s personnel, in light of two recent and separate episodes have raised the concern into a very serious matter.

Specifically, on March 14, 2020 a Correctional Officer was observed to be symptomatic of the COVID-19 Virus during his shift followed by another C.O. on March 16, 2020 that was later on replaced by a collegue.

Two separate and serious episodes recently occurred and have alarmed the entire detainee population of unit B and prompted a number of detainees to file their own Sick Call/Medical Encounter Request.

Unit B in comprised of sixty-six (66) beds, fifty-seven (57) of them occupied, one of them filled as recently as 24 hours ago.

Two major concerns are expressed in this letter:

1. The reckless behaviur of the two separate Correctional Officers that reported for duty showing symptoms of the COVID-19 Virus created extreme alarm and anxiety among all detainees;
2. The overcrowded living conditions of the detainees in unit B, fifty-seven (57) to be precise is in net contrast with State mandatory guidelines of max 25 and Federal guidelines of a max of 10. This is unacceptable to the health and wellbeing of all detainees. On March 15, 2020 a note was posted in the unit by Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson’s office stating among other the following: “…Given the close quarters and need for daily contact, our correctional facilities and jail are extremely vulnerable for residents, staff, volunteers, and visitors to become infected.” The three (3) feet distance between bunk beds is in net contrast with the mandatory six (6) feet safety distance between individuals.
3. Today at around 12:00pm medical personell in their unofficial vest stated that the infection of the whole ICE facility population is inevitable and will occur within the next 30 days. Such statement spreaded faster than the virus itself among detainees that are now extremely agitated and panicking.

Accordingly, it is imperative that the following measures should be implemented effectively immediately:

1. Detainees with serious medical condition should be released immediately;
2. Detainees considered low risk (without aggravated felonies), or detainees who have not had their bond hearing should be released immediately;
3. Detainees with scheduled hearings that gets rescheduled shall qualify for immediate bond hearing/release;
4. Detainees who consented to be deported, yet still present at the facility shall depart the U.S. within five (5) business days.

If you have any further question please address your correspondence to TEAM B attention Darcy McMenamin Bristol County Correctional Center, ICE B, 400 Faunce Corner Road, North Dartmouth, MA, 02747.

Respectfully submitted and signed by 51 detainees. Original is attached. The remaining six inmates refused to sign the petition in fear of retaliation.

NOTE:

WE ARE HOPING THAT YOU WILL MOBILIZE ON OUR BEHALF BY CONTACTING YOUR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN AND ANY AND ALL TV AND MEDIA OUTLET. ALONG WITH YOUR LOCAL AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION (A.C.L.U.) AT THE ADDRESS POSTED ON OUR LETTER.

WE ARE TRAPPED INSIDE A STORAGE AND IN FEAR FOR OUR LIFE. PLEASE HELP!

THANK YOU, TEAM B

Last week we took action in multiple cities in Bristol County, Massachusetts in solidarity with individuals incarcerated by the state, and in resistance to the 287(g) and IGSA contract between ICE and the county. 

In New Bedford on January 8th, we marched from the New Bedford District Court to the Ash Street Jail, one of the oldest jails in the country, which is notorious for its terrible conditions. We took the streets and were joined by community members who shared our message and our goals.

The following morning in Mansfield, a town that has voted overwhelmingly for Sheriff Hodgson, we blocked a busy intersection to raise awareness about Bristol County’s collaborations with ICE. We blocked traffic for over an hour, passed out flyers on the MBTA commuter rail platform and on the street, and dropped a banner over the intersection. 

For the week of what was supposed to be the trial, we invited our friends and comrades from across the so-called United States to join us. We are so appreciative of everyone who took the time out of their busy and important schedules to join the FANG community in supporting Sherrie and supporting the fight to end 287(g) and shut down ICE. 

It’s important to us to make space for healing and community care, especially for people who are consistently putting their bodies on the line. While we took action this week, we also took time to care for one another and to heal. We went bowling! We had a party! We went to the ocean! On Tuesday night, over 150 of our friends joined us at the First Unitarian Church in Providence for a community dinner in which we shared delicious food and heard from incredible frontline organizers from across Turtle Island. Endless thank you’s to everybody who made this week possible.

The re-scheduled trial date is February 26. We will post updates closer to then, but if you’re interested in coming to support Sherrie, save the date! 

Until then, you can support in the following ways:

• Following @FangCollective on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and sharing our updates to spread the word.
• Donating funds so that we can continue the #ShutDownICE campaign. This money goes to resisting ICE and 287(g) in Bristol County, caring for our community, and paying fines and bails when possible. bit.ly/FANG-Collective
• Signing the pledge to take action to further plug into the campaign: https://form.jotform.com/FANG_Collective/Take_Action

With militant love,

The FANG Collective

On January 7th and 8th at New Bedford District Court, FANG co-founder Sherrie Andre will be going on trial for their participation in an action at the Bristol County House of Corrections. This action was held in solidarity with people in I.C.E. detention who launched a hunger strike to demand better conditions at the facility.

There are many ways that you can support Sherrie, the FANG Collective, and the #ShutDownICE campaign. Here’s how:

• Come to the New Bedford District Court at 8:30am on the 7th and 8th to support Sherrie’s case in person.
• Come to FANG’s Community Dinner at 6pm on January 7th at the First Unitarian Church of Providence.
• Donate to FANG and the #ShutDownICE campaign. Funds will go to Sherrie’s court costs, petty cash to pay for other people’s bail and fines at the courthouse, and to accommodate friends and comrades visiting for the trial.
• Call Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and demand that he investigate the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Thomas Hodgson for the inhumane conditions at their prisons, and for mishandling hundreds of thousands of dollars from ICE. We are also demanding that Governor Baker end the state’s 287(g) contract with ICE: (617) 725-4005

You can find further media coverage of Sherrie and the trial here: 

–UpriseRI
–Providence Journal
–The Indy
-Washington Babylon

On January 7th, Sherrie Anne Andre will be going on trial after being arrested during a direct action at the Bristol County House of Corrections in Massachusetts. The action was carried out in solidarity with people detained by I.C.E. at the facility who launched a hunger strike to demand more humane treatment.

We are collecting letters of support for Sherrie that will be used at the trial. Please feel free to submit a letter of your own by emailing Support@ShutDownICEnow.org or sign on to this letter.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to express strong support for Sherrie Anne Andre and the action they took last summer to call attention to inhumane conditions for I.C.E. detainees and inmates within the Bristol County House of Correction. Sherrie’s action, and the work they do in their communities, fall within a long tradition of dissent and civil disobedience that has led movements for positive change in the United States. With this in mind, I believe that Sherrie’s action ought to be recognized as a service to the community, rather than treated as a crime to be punished.

Sherrie is deeply committed to social justice work out of care and responsibility for their communities, and their actions, even when breaking the law, are driven by thought and consideration for how they will affect everyone directly or indirectly involved. The action last summer, for which Sherrie is facing criminal charges, was a necessary effort to combat injustice in our community, and, moreover, was carried out with the least possible inconvenience to residents of the area.

Because of the degree of thoughtfulness with which Sherrie approaches all aspects of their life, they are a leader and mentor to many people working for positive change in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and in communities across the continent. Sherrie’s lawbreaking actions represent the interests of so many who oppose the injustice carried out by I.C.E. and other violent agencies.

I believe that it would be a mistake to legally penalize Sherrie for their attempt to demand humane conditions for all people, and I urge the court to drop all charges against them.

Sincerely,

Sign your organization on to this letter here.

Come hear organizers talk about their experience resisting ICE in Bristol County and learn more about how you can join the movement to #ShutDownICE.

On Friday, October 18th organizers with The FANG Collective will be speaking in New Bedford about their campaign to resist the Bristol County Sheriff Department and end the County’s collaborations with ICE. The event will be from 6:30-8:30pm at the First Unitarian Church located at 71 8th St. in New Bedford, Massachusetts. You can register for the event here.

While many people are aware of migrant detention and inhumane treatment of undocumented people near the border, Bristol County Sheriff’s Department is bringing ICE into our communities through their 287(g) and IGSA agreements. These agreements empower the Sheriff’s Department to detain people on behalf of ICE, and operate an ICE detention facility in Bristol County.

One of the speakers served 10 days in jail at the Bristol County House of Corrections for taking part in an action in solidarity with a hunger strike led by ICE detainees in the same facility, making her one of the the first anti-ICE protestors sentenced to jail time during the Trump administration.

Another of the speakers is going to trial in January 2020 for the same action, and could face even more jail time.

With Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, a close friend of Donald Trump, trying to suppress peaceful protest, now more then ever this campaign needs YOU.

Kemper Museum in Kansas City has been targeted by The FANG Collective and other activist groups over their connection to UMB Bank. Several UMB Bank officials sit on the Board of the Kemper Museum.

UMB Bank represents the bondholders of the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island. After the Facility agreed to end their contract with I.C.E., UMB successfully sued to force the Facility to continue to hold people detained by I.C.E.

This letter, from an anonymous Kemper Museum employee was received by FANG on September 10, 2019.

Since August 15th, I have not felt comfortable or safe at work due to ongoing efforts made by the museum board, executive staff members, and administration staff to diminish and inaccurately report to the public and to the museum staff of The Kemper Museum’s connections to UMB Bank after reports of UMB Banks affiliations with the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island surfaced.                   

In order to understand how UMB Bank and The Kemper Museum are connected one only has to look at The Kemper Family Foundation. The Kemper Family Foundation is administered by UMB Bank. UMB Bank transfers monies to the Kemper Family Foundation and then on to the Kemper Museum. The Kemper Museum’s majority donor is the Kemper Family Foundation, of which UMB Bank has made donations to.  

The Kemper Family Foundation gives money to every major arts organization in Kansas City, has ties politically, and has deep connections to art collectors who donate or borrow works to the museum on a vast scale.  

The executive director Sean, and the communications director Breeze have done everything they possibly can to convince workers that the degree to which the museum is affiliated to the bank is so vast that there is no possible link. They have also done everything they can to gaslight us into believing that we too are linked to wrongdoings made by the federal government by “having bank accounts”, or “being taxpayers”. The “all staff” meetings amongst various departments; private one on ones conducted by Sean, Breeze, and members of management; the little outreach the museum has done with the general public; inaccurately reporting phone calls and emails made by the public; and privately contacting members of protestors or activists to have “open-dialogue” sessions at the museum; are in no way earnest or for good but rather tactics to sway private and public opinion in the museums favor. Not to mention that these tactics are commonly used by union busters.               

I do not trust that the museum will make any effort to publicly or privately change course in it’s stance on immigration, make clear it’s stance on white nationalism, or break it’s connection to UMB Bank. The open dialogue sessions within the museum will be utilized in order to control conversations had with people from the general public. I fully believe that there will be no effort made to state facts about the Wyatt Detention facility’s bonds through UMB Bank, UMB’s ongoing legal suit against Central Falls, nor any specific mention of UMB’s affiliation with ICE during upcoming museum open dialogues. Every effort will be made by the museum to deter these topics and shift conversations to a broader scope.

With grants in hand, the museum will hide under the veil of being an environment of trust and openness while continuing its back door policies through it’s familial foundation, connected to a family founded bank, which will continue to profit off of the detainment of immigrants, family separation, and the ongoing crisis at the border.

Demands of workers have been made clear during all staff meetings. Here is a general report on various demands that staff have verbalized in these meetings. Demands are listed in no particular order.                                           

• Mariner Kemper step down from the board of the museum and that no current or former UMB Bank employees stand on the board at the museum.
• A public statement issued by The Kemper Museum stating, “The Kemper Museum does not condone the detainment of immigrants”; and an additional public statement issued by The Kemper Museum clarifying the museums stance on white nationalism.
• An end to continued last minute “all-staff” meetings in which staff have been interrupted during working hours, mealtimes, and breaks where staff have been subjected to political/financial/philanthropic jargon leading to emotional and psychological strain within the workplace.
• A direct action taken by the museums Executive Director Sean O’Harrow and Chairperson Mary Kemper Wolf to speak with protesters in person if protestors are on the grounds of the museum.
• UMB bank halt it’s legal actions toward the city of Central Falls, Rhode Island, and that any financial recourse incurred be absolved by UMB Bank itself.
• An accurate report of all phone calls and emails made by the public concerning these matters that includes the date and time.
• A report of all news articles written about the Wyatt Detention Facility to be generated and continuously updated by administrative staff that is shared with all staff members for the foreseeable future.
• A list of specific “open dialogue” actions the museum is pursuing with artists and activists in the community, a timeline of these events, and notations on how and why each moderator will be chosen.
• Accurate meeting notes from all “all staff” meetings compiled and shared amongst the entire staff of the museum.               

There is no time to wait. Eliminar la frontera.

Last summer, some friends and I demonstrated outside the Bristol County Jail, a jail and ICE detention center in North Dartmouth, MA. We were there to protest the caging of human beings––by ICE and the rest of the carceral system, too––and to support the prisoners’ hunger strike. After police officers recklessly and haphazardly tore two of us out of our tripods and jackhammered Holly and I out of our blockade, the four of us sat in jail overnight. Today, after a long and confusing legal proceeding, I am returning to a jail cell for 10 days for that action.

I wouldn’t say I’m optimistic or pessimistic about a future without incarceration and other weapons of colonial control. Rather, I am certain that the future is an infinite compilation of presents, and what we choose to pursue now creates the next now. I am certain that through action, a world without ICE, without prisons, police, or military of any kind is not just possible, but inevitable if we decide it is. Blocking entry to a detention center is just one action among many we can take to chase that future.

The New Bedford District Court knows this sentence is a repressive political strategy to discourage dissent. This may put us away for a week and a half each, but it will not cover the shame of caging people and their children for being born on the other side of an arbitrary colonial border, of the state’s history of incarcerating and brutalizing Black and Indigenous people, of buttressing the US military’s crimes against humanity, of continued environmental devastation the state oversees, or of sustaining an irredeemable nation built by stolen labor from stolen people on stolen land. Nor will it cover the necessity of continued opposition to ICE; in fact, it exposes how scared the state is of our power, and how impactful we can be should we choose to forego fear of these courts.

Being 19 years old makes me 4 years older than ICE. Envisioning a uture without such a law enforcement agency doesn’t require any imagination; we’ve very recently lived in a world without it. If we can envision a future without ICE, we can dream of a world where the notion of “citizenship” is an unpleasant memory, composted into a flourishing decolonized present — I can, anyway, and it’s wonderful. Without ICE, we can start to see a world without other forms of police, borders, and militaries. So what actions are necessary to grow this? What can we do in this present?

Hey, by the way, speaking of actionable things: Sherrie Andre, a co-defendant and one of the coolest people I’ve had the privilege of sharing space/action with, is still fighting their charges. If you can, you should come to their court dates to support them!

After I sit in jail for 10 days, many others will stay longer, with less support than me, with fewer resources after getting out. This sentence, heavy handed as it is, is nowhere near the worst the courts have slapped people with. My hope, then, is that those who support us and advocate our freedom will extend that compassion to every victim of incarceration. Every single prisoner is a political prisoner, and every single one deserves our solidarity. Nutty, an activist fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia (and whose beautifully eloquent statements are the main inspiration for this one), said it best:

“Fuck the liberal ideologies of people who take offense at the punishments endured by some land defenders while they proclaim how distinct we are from those who share our jail cells. The courts are wrong for prosecuting us. And they are wrong for prosecuting all those who lack the extensive networks of support that our movement provides. The courts take people in the hardest moments of their lives and make them even harder, steal people from their families, jail them for not having the money for bail and then imprison them for not being able to afford a fancy lawyer.”

Instead of courts, cops, and any arms of the state which help white supremacists and capitalists lock children and families in cages and profit off it, instead of prisons descended from slavery and Jim Crow, what we need is solidarity and radical neighborly love for each other. We need to see no one as disposable and everyone as precious. And ultimately, we need to be free to grow together beyond what white supremacy would have divide us. Strong communities make the state obsolete.

Thank you to the people who came to the courthouse to support me today. My love and rage goes out to organizers and friends everywhere fighting ICE and linked oppressive machines, as well as those gathering the courage to get involved now. Together, we are sowing the seeds of a better world.

***

Amory is the second person to serve a jail sentence after taking part in the August 2018 action that shut down the entrances of the Bristol County House of Corrections. The action was carried out in solidarity with people being held by ICE who went on hunger strike to demand better conditions at the facility.

You can read more about the action that Amory took part in here.