this week's topic was the immigrant detention industry, which has been described as "the fastest-growing, least-examined type of incarceration in America," by the New York Times.
according to an article that was referenced throughout our discussion, it is an industry that detains half a million people a year.
i became more aware of this industry and with every statistic, more sickened with our government's actions.
when we need cheap labor we open the doors wide, but as soon as our economy takes a turn for the worse, we start locking them up and shipping them out. whatever the U.S. wants it gets.
and even more so, the government pays the industry to incarcerate anyone and everyone who might look like they're "illegal." i believe the number was $280/person/day.
during the discussion, i asked what some of the opposing arguments would be because for me, it's so simple to see that the idea of profit-making detention centers is wrong and how this country deals with immigrants is outright unjust.
the woman who spoke brought in two photos to help us see the severity of all of this.
the first is of the Amache japanese internment camp in amache, colorado. 1943.
the second image is an "immigration prison" in texas. 2007.
a question she asked us all, and i'll leave you with...
which one has gardens and windows?
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