The
Annual Ash Wednesday Vigil at the Elizabeth Detention Center was similar to the
previous eighteen. One can't help but wonder when justice will finally prevail
for the detained. The Vigil filled with prayer, song, and symbolic acts, took
place on the cold, dark street outside this for-profit warehouse. Everyone
knows that the conditions inside are far more dreary, but there is an enduring
hope that soon common decency, respect, and compassion will lead to reform.
The Prayer over the Ashes: "God,
we call upon your blessings of mercy and hope on these ashes and the ashes of
the lives of all detained in this center and everywhere. Out of all the dying
that immigrants endure, may transformation that springs from mercy happen here
in this Elizabeth Detention Center and in all places of detention."
Leader: "We invite those with
ribbons and locks to please come forth first to receive your ashes and then
proceed to the fence. We now invite the rest of you to witness a ritual of
locks and ribbons to commemorate the nineteen years of vigils and the names of
those we know whose lives locked away in detention languished in ashes."
The song during distribution of the
ashes: Woodie Guthrie's "Deportee."
The 19th Annual Ash Wednesday Vigil was
held on February 18th. The vigil has always been an educational and emotional
event. This year was no exception. Individuals from Saint Joseph, The Elizabeth
Coalition, Pax Christi, First Friends, and other local social justice
organizations gathered later at Saint Joseph's to warm up over hot soup,
listen to enlightening presentations by speakers, and enjoy upbeat motivational
music performed by the Catholic Worker Band.
Kathy O'Leary and Rosa Santana from
First Friends spoke about the financial and social costs of detention centers.
They began their talk by telling the story of 18-year-old Edgar. He came to
this country as an unaccompanied minor and was shuffled around four centers. He
was put up for bail at $1,500. By using Go Fund Me, First Friends raised
that amount.
The financial costs outlined in the
presentation were quite substantial. On average it costs the government
$150/day to put someone up in a detention center. This teamed with the fact
that we have a national quota of 34,000 people in immigration detention per day
costs the taxpayers a sizable amount. Keeping
people in detention centers doesn't only cost the taxpayer a pretty penny.
Items in commissaries in detention centers are subject to a 10% tax.
While in a
supermarket six packs of ramen noodles, the most popular item in the
commissary, cost $3.00, it costs 1.03 for one pack in the commissary. This is
particularly harsh, considering detainees have extremely limited access to
money for even the barest of essentials. They often must rely on their families
who are likely dealing with their own financial struggles. The evening provided
a clear overview of the issues surrounding immigration detention. It reinforced
the importance of working to reform the system. It was great to participate in
such an event with like-minded people. While there is still much work to be
done it was refreshing to see so many people energized and concerned about the
plight of undocumented people in our country.
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