September 21, 2020
Stop Forced Sterilization of Women in Immigrant Detention
emailed to:Joseph V. Cuffari
Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Lane, SW
Washington, DC 20528
Cameron Quinn
Inspector General
Office of the Inspector General
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Thomas P. Giles
Acting Director of Atlanta ICE Field Office
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Atlanta Field Office
180 Ted Turner Dr. SW Suite 522
Atlanta, GA, 30303
David Paulk
Warden of the Irwin County Detention Center
132 Cotton Drive
Ocilla, GA, 31774
We, the undersigned members and supporters of Radical Women, are outraged to learn of the abuses of women detainees at Irwin Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia, including high numbers of forced and uninformed hysterectomies and sterilizations. Thanks to courageous whistleblower nurse Dawn Wooten, the public has been informed of these cruelties as well as the callous disregard for the COVID-19 risks and lack of precautions for detainees and some of the workers. We condemn all of these actions and the utter disregard for human rights of the women in detention.
We stand in solidarity with all the people in Irwin Detention Center as well as Dawn Wooten. Not only do these practices need to stop immediately and a full independent investigation be done, but we also call for massive damage payments to be given to the women as well as permanent legal status. Further, we demand no forced sterilization, full reproductive justice for all detainees, healthy conditions for all prisoners including complete COVID-19 precautions and testing, and no retaliation against Wooten or other whistleblowers.
We will also continue to organize against all private for-profit prisons, to free everyone in detention centers, abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and open the borders!
Sincerely,
Carlos Adams, Sumner, WA
Maria Alamillo, Seattle, WA
Yolanda Alaniz, Los Angeles, CA
Charlie Alegria-Gimeno, Los Angeles, CA
Yuisa Alegria-Gimeno, Los Angeles, CA, SEIU 721*
Emma Allen, Seattle, WA
Larry Allred, Everett WA
Linda Ashworth, Kennewick, WA
Stacy Ashworth, Winlock, WA
Doug Barnes, Seattle, WA
Andrea Bauer, Seattle, WA
Darcy Berry, Seattle, WA
Debbie Brennan, Melbourne, VIC Australia
Christine Browning, Monterey, CA
Nga Bui, NY, NY
Gail Bullat, Seattle, WA
Val Carlson, Los Angeles, CA
Maria Castro, Kent, WA
Jenny Chang, Tacoma
Megan Cornish, Seattle, WA
Joann Cox, Detroit, MI
Carla Cuccia, Mt. Vernon, WA
Lois Danks, Port Angeles, WA
Michal David, Los Angeles, CA
Patricia Dawson, Seattle, WA
Stephen Durham, NY, NY, Freedom Socialist Party
Tyler Farmer-Cisneros, San Diego, CA
Raya Fidel, Seattle, WA
Katheryne Gall, Southbury, CT
Gerry Gall, Southbury, CT
Norma M. Gallegos, San Francisco, CA
Helen Gilbert, Seattle, WA
Maralyn Gill, Eugene, OR
Antonieta Gimeno, Los Angeles, CA
Mickiala Gonzales, Seattle, WA
Bethany Grant-Rodriguez, Seattle, WA
Amy Gray-Schlink, Oakland, CA
Jessie Green, Eugene, OR
Barry Grosskopf, Vashon Island, WA
John Hanford, Lake Forest Park, WA
William Hathaway, Oldenburg, Germany
Carmen Hernandez, Houston, TX
Stephanie Hickey, Providence Village, TX
Monica Hill, Seattle, WA
Annie Hobbs, Seattle, WA
Guerry Hoddersen, Seattle, WA
Jed Holtz, Brooklyn, NY
Elias Holtz, Brooklyn, NY
Jared Houston, Seattle, WA
Fred Hyde, Seattle, WA
Kathy Jarlov, Tacoma, WA
Kathryn Johnson, Seattle, WA
Sophia Johnson, Tucson, AZ
Nancy Reiko Kato, San Francisco, CA
Jadore Kendall, Seattle, WA
Amelia Kirk-Harkin, Sunshine North, VIC, Australia
Glenn Kirkindall, Portland, OR
Sue Mi Ko, Germantown, MD
Lavender LGBTQ+ Caucus, SEIU 721, Los Angeles, CA
Kristina Lee, San Francisco, CA
Norma Leib, Albuquerque, NM
Emma Lessley, New Orleans, LA
Jennifer Little, Rochester, NY
Christina López, Seattle, WA
Sandra Mackay, San Francisco, CA
Betty Maloney, Newark, NJ, AFT 4*
Joana Mapula, Seattle, WA
Josie McGehee, Southbury, CT
Doreen McGrath, Seattle, WA
Kathleen Merrigan, Seattle, WA
Melissa Miccio, Brooklyn, NY
Vanetta Molson-Turner, Seattle, WA
Annielaurie Mozee, Colorado Springs, CO
Amber Mullerleile, Everett, WA
Nejma Nefertiti, Brooklyn, NY
Luma Nichol, San Francisco, CA
Rebecca Niggemann, Olympia, WA
Doug Noble, Rochester, NY
Henry Noble, Seattle, WA
Jane Pafford, Arcadia, FL
Tom Pafford, Arcadia, FL
Partido Obrero Socialista - México
Gina Petry, Seattle, WA
Susan Platt, Seattle, WA
Angela Posenke, Seattle, WA
Bob Price, San Francisco, CA, AFT 2121*
Sharon Quinsaat, Grinnell, IA
Ann Rogers, Farr West, UT
Samuel Rubin, San Francisco, CA
Elena Rumiantseva, Seattle, WA
Julie Sahlberg, Seattle, WA
Jordana Sardo, Portland, OR, AFSCME 88*
Brooke Sassi, Colorado Springs, CO
Jessica Scalzo, Seattle, WA
Dave Schmauch, NY, NY
Sarah Scott, Seattle, WA
Gillian Share-Raab, Los Angeles
Diane Shaughnessy, Tacoma, WA
Denis Sieminski, Shoreline, WA
Anne Slater, Seattle, WA
Syrenka Slettebak, Shoreline, WA
Chris Smith, Bloomington, IL
Andrew Smith, NY, NY
Sylvia Spicer, Seattle, WA
James Stansberry, Seattle, WA
Robin Strauss, Brooklyn, NY
Steven Strauss, Columbia, MD
Muffy Sunde, Seattle, WA
Charlotte Strauss Swanson, Knoxville, TN
Keelah Tay, Los Angeles, CA
Alison Thorne, Preston, VIC, Australia
Catherine Tlapak, Seattle, WA
Primrose Torres, Seattle, WA
Annaliza Torres, Seattle, WA
David Trujillo, Seattle, WA
Margaret Viggiani, Seattle, WA
Adrienne Weller, Seattle, WA
Susan E. Williams, NY, NY
Nellie Wong, San Francisco, CA
Chelsea Wong, Seattle, WA
Ameyalteca Xochitemoani, Seattle, WA
Emily Woo Yamasaki, NY, NY
*for identification purposes only