Several Hollywood figures have joined organizations and policy experts in a letter published on Change.org on March 29. They are calling for the closure of an immigration service detention center.
“No child should be locked up in a migrant detention center,” they declare in their open letter. On March 29, a petition was launched on Change.org demanding “the immediate closure of the Dilley migrant processing center, a family detention center operated by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Texas, as well as an end to the detention of children and families.” With over 15,000 signatures, the list includes many celebrities.
Traumatizing Detention
Madonna, Pedro Pascal, John Legend, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Brittney Griner, America Ferrera, Elliot Page, Jane Fonda, Brandi Carlile, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, Glennon Doyle, Billy Porter, Keke Palmer, Katie Couric, and Susan Sarandon, among others, have signed this petition. Alongside organizations and policy experts, they highlight the “trauma,” “negligence,” and the “conditions that violate fundamental standards of health, safety, dignity, and human rights” experienced by the children held by ICE in these detention centers.
Beyond the closure of this Texan detention center, the signatories also demand “transparency, accountability, and systemic reforms to prevent such abuses from recurring in the United States.”
Hollywood’s Target
As a key player in Donald Trump’s policy, ICE is a federal anti-immigration agency frequently criticized for its violent methods and disregard for human rights. Prior to this petition, several celebrities had already spoken out on this issue, particularly in response to images of the arrest of 5-year-old Liam Ramos. “Before thanking God, I’m going to say… ICE, get out!” declared Bad Bunny on stage while receiving his Grammy Award last February, sparking an ovation from the audience.
