On Wednesday, February 14, Longwood students and activists from immigration advocacy coalition Free Them All VA once again demonstrated at the Farmville Town Council advocating the shutdown of the Immigration Centers of America (ICA) Farmville Detention Center. This demonstration comes as the Town of Farmville will exit its agreement with ICA on March 29, 2024, according to Farmville Mayor Brian Vincent.
The Rotunda covered a similar demonstration at the September 13, 2023 council meeting, as students and advocates then called attention to the facility being accused by activist and non-profit support groups such as the Advancement Project, National Immigration Project, National Immigrant Justice Center, among others, of various reported human rights abuses. These include negligence in limiting a disease outbreak that resulted in one detainee dying from COVID-19, poor and unsafe living conditions for detainees, and allegations of excessive force.
At least 25 demonstrators met at the Beale Plaza’s Rotunda fountain on Longwood’s campus and marched to the meeting. Several members of Free Them All VA, an advocacy coalition promoting the shutdown of ICA-Farmville among other issues relating to Virginia’s migrant detention centers, jails and prisons, shared two recordings from previously detained individuals.
The first recording included reports of little to no privacy or hygiene, lack of medical care, and spoiled food and milk being served to detainees. “I ask that you all join us, and that you become a part of this fight,” the first testimonial said, translated into English by a member of Free Them All VA. “It’s not apt for human beings, not apt for people to be inside,” he added. The second recording detailed danger and hardship resulting from the previously-detained individual’s deportation after release from ICA-Farmville.
Four activists spoke at the gathering at Beale Plaza, and eight activists either spoke at the Town Council meeting or submitted written comments. One Longwood student advocating for an end to the contract, senior Gabriella Bustillos, said to the Town Council, “You are in a position of authority. You have the power and means to shut ICA-Farmville down. Closing the ICA-Farmville is not just about shutting down a physical building. It’s about shutting down an ideology of fear and intolerance.”
Amber Qureshi, attorney for the National Immigration Project – a non-profit organization of attorneys and advocates that provides legal and technical support to other immigration attorneys and advocates, community activists, and immigrant communities – updated demonstrators in attendance at Beale Plaza about the contract, and claimed that members of the Farmville Town Council had participated in different “backdoor deals” with ICA-Farmville.
According to a report published Wednesday on the National Immigrant Justice Center’s website and co-authored by Qureshi, in December 2023, ICA’s chief executive officer contacted Farmville Town Manager Dr. C. Scott Davis about transferring the facility’s subcontract to what was listed as an “affiliate” company of ICA-Farmville, Abyon, LLC. This did not result in changes to facility management or operations, but the National Immigration Project representatives argue this attempt to transfer the contract could potentially allow the facility to continue to operate as is without penalty under a different name.
The National Immigration Project stated the use of the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the documents, and shared them with The Rotunda via their February 14 online report. During the demonstration, Qureshi said the exchanges between town and ICA officials leave a number of unanswered questions, “We don’t know why they did this or what their motivations are.”
Prior to the public comment period, Vincent provided some information to those in attendance and said, “This council in September, voted to pursue an avenue by which the town of Farmville could extradite itself from an intergovernmental agreement between the federal government and ICA-Farmville,” adding, “Since then, there was an extension as ICA sought another agreement, that agreement is not with us. We have not been in negotiation with them for an agreement.”
Furthermore, Vincent noted that the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors “unanimously voted to seek a potential agreement with an ICA detention center” on February 13 following a closed session. According to the motion made and passed by the board, it voted to “continue in negotiation with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE regarding a service agreement to provide detention facilities within the county.”
While the ICA contract with the town of Farmville will likely expire on March 29, 2024 as far as activists are aware – they have committed themselves to making sure that the town follows through. “It's very important that we hold on to their word that they actually let the contract end on March 29,” Qureshi said, addressing demonstrators. However, with unanswered questions left and the Board of Supervisors negotiating with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, their work is unlikely to end with the expiration of the current contract.
The Rotunda will continue to follow this developing story.
Demonstration at Beale Plaza, 2/14/2024Photo by Savannah BartlettManaging and Photo Editor
savannah.bartlett@live.longwood.edu
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