John,

I’m reaching out with some heartbreaking news. I just got off the phone with our partner, the Haitian Bridge Alliance, who has been working closely with the Haitian families jailed at ICE’s Berks family jail in Pennsylvania.

The stories are bone-chilling. The majority of the families detained at Berks County are Haitian, and some of them are detained with children as young as two years old. These families have faced unimaginable suffering, and many of them are ill due to negligence from facility staff—which only puts them at more risk during a global pandemic.

Getting these families out as soon as possible is a matter of life or death: two people have died in ICE custody this week alone. Six children have died in U.S. immigration custody—and that was before the pandemic.

Right now, grassroots organizations are ramping up the pressure on Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to immediately release the families together and permanently end ICE’s use of the Berks County Detention Center. The Governor has the power to intervene, and it’s up to all of us to demand he use his power to protect families and children.

Take action now. Sign the petition demanding Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf evacuate the families held in the Berks ICE jail and shut down the facility.

Last month, Governor Tom Wolf marched alongside Black Lives Matter protestors in his state. We can’t allow Governor Wolf to say Black Lives Matter while cameras are rolling, only to neglect Black children and parents in his state’s detention centers. All of us have a responsibility to hold Governor Wolf accountable.

Recently, a federal judge ordered the release of all children in ICE’s family jails—including the one in Berks County. However, the judge’s order only applies to the children, not their parents. We expect ICE to use this ruling as an opportunity to separate families once again. Our best chance at getting the families detained at Berks County released together is to get Governor Wolf to take action, and that will only happen if enough of us speak out.

Join us now, and help protect the families at Berks and any families that could be detained there in the future.

These families need you to take action. Click here to add your name and urge Governor Tom Wolf to #FreetheFamilies.

Some of the children at Berks County Detention Center have been there for almost a year. A few of them have birthdays coming up in August—it’s unconscionable that Governor Wolf would allow them to celebrate behind bars.

It’s time to release every single one of these families, together.

With hope,

Paola Luisi

Director, Families Belong Together

Families Belong Together is a campaign of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA). NDWA is the nation's leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States, most of whom are women. If you would like to get in touch with Families Belong Together, click here.