Name: Protesters urge release of ICE detainees
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Protesters urge release of ICE detainees

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Karen DandurantView CommentsDOVER – About 50 cars formed a solemn parade passing the Strafford County Department of Corrections Sunday, a call to release Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detaines that has been held every Sunday since April.No one honked. No one yelled slogans. They made three passes from the courthouse, past the jail and then returned to the courthouse where speakers urged freeing the detainees. In past rallies, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the protesters remained in their cars. On Sunday, they parked at the courthouse and everyone emerged with masks on to hear the speakers.The group organizing the weekly “rolling rally,” Never Again Action, want the immigrants released, taking the position they don’t belong in jail as they face no criminal charges. The pandemic makes more urgent that they are released due to health concerns in the jail setting, the group states.Never Again Action organizer Laura Aronson said, “Strafford County is under contract with ICE to house detained immigrants. With the ongoing pandemic, we urge New Hampshire lawmakers to communicate with state officials to safeguard vulnerable, incarcerated populations, officers and other staff, their families, courts, and communities. One important action they can take is to urge ICE to release all civilly detained persons currently held at the jail. All immigrants in civil detention should be released now to return to their children, families and communities. There is ample evidence that immigrants who are free from detention under local case management while awaiting court hearings have nearly a 100% compliance rate for future court appearances.”The speakers stood in front of a line of 60 cutout figures representing people being detained in the jail, each with one line to tell their story. Tess George of Never Again Action said there is one figure for each detainee.“There used to be 77,” said George. “We will continue doing this until there are zero. We will keep up the pressure until we have an immigration policy that stands for equal justice no matter how much money you have, what color your skin is or what country you came from.”The cutouts had lines like, “I had to leave my country,” “I miss my kids so much,” “I need protection from Covid,” and “I am human.”Somersworth resident Emmett Soldati has a long reputation as an activist. The owner of Teatotaller in the Hilltop City, Soldati is running for the state Executive Council’s District 2 seat. He said he believes law enforcement should not be cooperating with ICE.Soldati talked about how the small city of Somersworth grew strong because it welcomes all its citizens, no matter their color, nationality or sexual orientation.“When my father was mayor, I learned about the growing Indonesian population in Somersworth,” said Soldati. “Community is the best line of defense against oppression. When hundreds of deportation notices were given, I went to our police chief (David Kretschmar) to ask him to stand for the Indonesian population because police are not obligated to help ICE. He told me his kids went to school with the Indonesians. He has been to their churches and had meals with them. He said, ’I will protect them.’ Win or lose the election, I am in this fight.”Andru Volinsky, the current executive councilor for District 2 and a Democratic candidate for governor, told the crowd Volinsky was not his family’s true name.“I don’t know my name,” he said. “Volinsky was the name given to my great grandfather at Ellis Island.”Volinsky said he has served as an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, fighting against the death penalty for 40 years.In talking about civil rights, Volinsky said, “We are at the lowest time in this country’s history, worse than before the Civil War. ICE is a symptom. Donald Trump is a symptom. We need to talk with each other. We need to listen. We need to call out conduct that fails.”Leah Plunkett of Concord is also running for Executive Council, like Soldati seeking the District 2 seat being vacated by Volinsky.Plunkett is a law professor and said she went to law school to fight for human rights.“Can they hear us in the jail?” Plunkett asked. “As a country we have failed to keep the most vulnerable safe. These detainees are vulnerable by virtue of being detained during the COVID-19 crisis, making it more urgent at this moment to secure their freedom.”Plunkett spoke about her Jewish heritage, saying her grandfather was first in the country as a poor child in Brooklyn.“He was brought in to interrogate German prisoners in the war because he spoke the language,” said Plunkett. “He was one of the Ritchie Boys. He went on to become a diplomat and then was later accused of communism in the McCarthy era. We, the Jewish, understand persecution.”Sunday’s rally is part of a series of events the group calls Days of Action.On July 3, Never Again Action will present to Gov. Chris Sununu its petition with over 1,000 signatures and an 80-signature clergy letter representing a wide range of religious denominations. The group previously sent Sununu its petition with 400 signatures.The immigrants’ rights group will host an art display, called Don’t Look Away, in front of the State House in Concord on July 3 from noon to 2 p.m., and will hold a 1 p.m. press conference there.U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty has begun freeing some medically vulnerable ICE detainees following bail hearings, in response to an ACLU class-action lawsuit.Never Again Action, a national organization, was founded in 2019 by Jewish people motivated by their prophetic tradition and their history of oppression. Its goal is to prevent ICE, DHS, CBP, and the corporations that support them from doing business as usual.Chris Brackett, superintendent of the jail, said he and his staff will continue to do everything they can to support the rallies."We support their ability to peacefully protest," said Brackett. "They are continuing to cooperate with the procedures put in place by the sheriff."Brackett had an update to say of Sunday, there were 63 immigrants being held at the jail."We are knocking on wood and so far everyone is healthy," said Brackett. "We continue to vigorously monitor everyone coming in, including staff."Two cases of COVID-19 had been detected at the jail during the pandemic, but Brackett said there are none at this time.View Comments

Karen DandurantView CommentsDOVER – About 50 cars formed a solemn parade passing the Strafford County Department of Corrections Sunday, a call to release Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detaines that has been held every Sunday since April.No one honked. No one yelled slogans. They made three passes from the courthouse, past the jail and then returned to the courthouse where speakers urged freeing the detainees. In past rallies, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the protesters remained in their cars. On Sunday, they parked at the courthouse and everyone emerged with masks on to hear...

Protesters urge release of ICE detainees

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