Erik and Ramon Support Each Other's Advocacy

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Dear friends,

I’m excited to share a powerful new op-ed penned by Erik Mercado and Ramon Dominguez Gonzalez, two men currently detained in different immigration detention centers in California.

Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Erik and Ramon’s piece provides readers with a damning first-person perspective of what life is really like behind bars in ICE custody.
Read: Our fight for freedom is a fight for humanity ([link removed])
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Long-time advocates and FFI hotline callers, Erik and Ramon describe how they’ve resisted the dehumanizing detention system. They’ve formed an unbreakable bond during their more than two years in detention, often supporting each other as they repeatedly shed light on the abuses they face on the inside.

While President Biden has betrayed his promise to end the practice of incarcerating immigrants in for-profit

detention centers—which includes the Otay Mesa and Imperial facilities—it’s leaders like Erik and Ramon who have stepped forward to organize and advocate for the humanity of those behind bars. And despite the retaliation they face, they have no intention of stopping.

“We are determined to keep fighting for our families, who are waiting for us on the other side of these walls, and for everyone else who is detained,”

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write Erik and Ramon. “In truth, our dream of freedom will not be complete until we are all free and until we abolish detention.”
Erik and Ramon’s words serve as a critical reminder that those directly impacted by the system know the system better than anyone. Ultimately, the movement will be stronger when leaders like Erik and Ramon can make the case for abolition themselves.
Finally, if you haven’t done so already, I hope you’ll take a moment to see how you can plug into this movement, too. ([link removed])

In Solidarity,


Jeff Migliozzi
Communications Manager

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