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MARYSVILLE, CALIF. – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department announced on Dec. 9, 2022, the long-awaited termination of the contract between Yuba Jail and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — the last of its kind in the state. The contract, which was set to expire in the year 2099 and generated over $8.6 million a year for the county, officially ended today, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. The announcement of the contract's termination prompted DHS to initiate its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which outlines the steps Enforcement and Removal Operations staff must take when terminating a detention facility.
During this 60-day period, ICE violated the SOP when they transferred the remaining two individuals to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center, owned and operated by the GEO Group, in Bakersfield, CA, without a meaningful review of their cases. At least one individual has been needlessly detained for over 90 days even though he was granted relief from removal by an immigration judge in October 2022. The second individual was transferred hundreds of miles away despite the fact they are originally from Yuba County and have a plan in place to ensure a safe release to their community.
“Closure efforts can no longer be accompanied by the practice of transfers if the Biden administration is serious about creating a more humane immigration system,” said the Yuba Liberation Coalition. “This administration must do a better job at divesting from multi-billion dollar contracts with counties and private prison corporations and investing in community development and universal legal access. We will continue to amplify the efforts to shut down the remaining six ICE detention facilities in California, all privately owned and operated.”
The Yuba Liberation Coalition will host a community celebration on Sunday, March 19, 2023, outside of the Yuba County Jail to commemorate the end of the inhumane and lucrative contract.
The Yuba Liberation Coalition, previously the #FreeTheYuba11 Coalition, began in April 2021. The coalition has two goals: release everyone detained at Yuba County Jail and end the contract between Yuba County and ICE. Members of the Yuba Liberation Coalition include: ACLU of Northern California, California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, Carlos Sauceda, Faithful Friends, and Pangea Legal Services.
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