If we cant stop the government from jailing babies, what can we do? Shut Hutto Down! : Houston Indymedia

On Saturday February 9th, MECA and Grassroots Leadership hosted a screening of Hutto: Americas Family Prison

Below is audio from the Houston Indymedia Radio Show, featuring an interview with Frances Valdez about the event.

Along with the film, community supporters heard personal testimony and learned about the ongoing campaign to shut down the T. Don Hutto immigrant detention facility.

Denia, a Honduran immigrant detained at the facility shared the terrible conditions she experienced at Hutto. Her main source of stress was the fact that the food served at Hutto wasn’t providing her children a nutritious meal. Her children were not allowed to have toys in their cell, received only one hour of school but no meaningful education, and were forced to sit quietly the remainder of the day. At the time, Denia was also pregnant and received no prenatal care or extra food from the facility. She worried about her unborn baby’s health and feared that he was getting sick. To make matters worse, Denia’s mom Maria had heard that another woman detained had had a miscarriage inside the facility due to lack of care. Maria visited Denia and her children frequently at Hutto and tried to leave them with enough money to buy phone cards so they could keep in touch with her. Denia never got the money her mom left her, just some chips and one phone card.

Denia and her children are still recovering from the trauma they suffered at Hutto. She’s happy to be out of the facility, but her immigration case hasn’t yet been resolved. She worries that even after all the suffering they’ve already endured, she and her family might be deported back to Honduras.

The experiences that Denia faced were typical of the abuses other detainees suffered in Hutto. Immigration lawyer Frances Valdez shared information about a recent lawsuit filed against the government targeting Hutto. The case ended in a settlement which resulted in dramatic improvements at the facility. Pregnant women detained at Hutto are now receiving prenatal care and better food. Children are now allowed more time outside and families can now wear normal clothes instead of prison uniforms (which everyone, including infants, were forced to wear). Though the lawyers hoped to shut down the facility completely, the settlement to improve the situation was as far as they could take the case.

Valdez stressed the need for continued activism. “I really think the best way to change it is your political activism. With enough political pressure, you can shut it down.”

Those interested in getting involved with the campaign should check out
Grassroots Leadership hosted a screening of Hutto: Americas Family Prison.