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January 2, 2019

Texas: Activists Block Access to Tornillo Youth Immigration Jail
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In Texas, immigrant rights activists shut down the entrance to the
Tornillo tent camp on New Year's Eve, where several thousand immigrant
youth are being detained. The activists have been organizing daily
actions for the past two weeks under the banner of "Christmas in
Tornillo."

Denise Benavides: "So, my name is Denise Benavides. I am a Dallas County
community organizer. And we are here at the Tornillo port of entry in
front of a concentration camp for Central American minors who are
teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17. … This is the only way we're
going to shut this place down, is with resistance, is with action. It's
with our voices, is with the stories that we hear. We're tired of this.
This should not be happening in America. We are the most incarcerated
country in the world. And it's sad that we celebrate freedom."

The Tornillo facility has come under fire from immigrant and human
rights activists, Democratic lawmakers and health professionals. Last
month, the shelter operator, Baptist Child and Family Services, said
they expected to close the facility by mid-January.


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