One of the three largest private immigration detention centers in the United States sits hidden amongst warehouses and abandoned lots in the Port of Tacoma, WA. The Northwest Detention Center, owned and operated by private prison corporation GEO Group, began detaining undocumented people in 2004. In 2010 the NWDC expanded their facility, with the go-ahead from the City of Tacoma, and currently detains up to 1500 people at any given time.
This facility imprisons your neighbors, co-workers, family members and friends. The large majority of the folks being held at this facility have never been convicted of a crime. They have come to this country to escape poverty and persecution. They have come here as a means to trying to provide better lives for themselves and their families.
The company that owns the Northwest Detention Center, GEO Group, makes a profit off of the detainment and deportation of people. The City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington State and the federal government benefit financially off of this facility. This company and these governmental institutions perceive the people being held at the NWDC as commodity.
When the motives behind oppressive and exploitative acts are exposed, they can no longer be normalized. We can begin to draw connections and make black and white what was formerly gray. No longer can we hope that the government will seize current immigration policies or that the city will shut down the Northwest Detention Center.
This blog exists to provide a space to unmask these unforgivable truths. We will not sit back and wait for those who oppress to do what we must do ourselves. These matters are in our own hands; it is our responsibility to act.