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 a detention center run by the US Immigration Service.
“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 run by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Texas, as well as the end of detaining children and families.” With over 15,000 signatures, many celebrities are among the supporters.
A Traumatizing Detention Madonna, Pedro Pascal, John Legend, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Brittney Griner, America Ferrera, Elliot Page, Jane Fonda, Brandi Carlile, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Glennon Doyle, Billy Porter, Keke Palmer, Katie Couric, and Susan Sarandon, among others, have signed the petition. In partnership with organizations and policy experts, they highlight the “traumas,” “neglect,” and “conditions that violate fundamental standards in terms of health, safety, dignity, and human rights” that the children detained by ICE endure in these detention centers.
Beyond the closure of this Texas detention center, the signatories also demand “transparency, accountability, and systemic reforms to prevent such abuses from recurring anywhere in the United States.”
In Hollywood’s Crosshairs A key component of Donald Trump’s policy, ICE is a federal anti-immigration agency regularly criticized for its violent methods and disregard for human rights. Before this petition, several celebrities had already spoken out on this issue, especially in response to the images of the arrest of five-year-old Liam Ramos. “Before thanking God, I’m going to say… ICE, out!” Bad Bunny declared on stage while receiving his Grammy Award in February, prompting a standing ovation from the audience.
