SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Yvonne Nieves of El Paso, Texas demonstrates in front of the U.S. Border Patrol facility where lawyers reported that detained migrant children were held unbathed and hungry on June 27, 2019 in Clint, Texas. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
'We Owe These Vulnerable Populations More': California Lawmakers Call on Gov. Newsom to Divest State From Child Detention Profiteers
The open letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom cited the #WayfairWalkout as the impetus for the request
Jun 27, 2019
A pair of California state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to divest the state's pension fund from businesses that work with federal immigration detentions facilities.
State Assemblymember Cristina Garcia and state Senator Lena Gonzalez, both Democrats, made the request of Newsom in an open letter Wednesday that cited that day's walkout of employees of online retailer Wayfair in protest of the company's profiting off of child detentions.
"I am asking that we, as a State follow the example of these brave workers and cease vesting in publicly held companies that contract with, or provide services to companies that operate detention centers," the letter reads.
The letter cites conditions at the child prisons. As Common Dreams reported on Thursday, recent reports are showing those conditions are even worse than was previously thought. Customs and Border Protection child prisons were referred to by one expert as "torture facilities" in testimony for a lawsuit seeking an emergency restraining order against the conditions.
In their letter, Garcia and Gonzalez call for California to lead the way to hold accountable those profiting from child detention.
"It is extremely important that California stop funding actions directly or indirectly through investment and state contracts," the pair wrote. "We owe these vulnerable populations more, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we are not contributing to the expansion of the current inhumane treatment of them."
Newsom had not publicly responded to the letter at press time.
Read the letter:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
A pair of California state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to divest the state's pension fund from businesses that work with federal immigration detentions facilities.
State Assemblymember Cristina Garcia and state Senator Lena Gonzalez, both Democrats, made the request of Newsom in an open letter Wednesday that cited that day's walkout of employees of online retailer Wayfair in protest of the company's profiting off of child detentions.
"I am asking that we, as a State follow the example of these brave workers and cease vesting in publicly held companies that contract with, or provide services to companies that operate detention centers," the letter reads.
The letter cites conditions at the child prisons. As Common Dreams reported on Thursday, recent reports are showing those conditions are even worse than was previously thought. Customs and Border Protection child prisons were referred to by one expert as "torture facilities" in testimony for a lawsuit seeking an emergency restraining order against the conditions.
In their letter, Garcia and Gonzalez call for California to lead the way to hold accountable those profiting from child detention.
"It is extremely important that California stop funding actions directly or indirectly through investment and state contracts," the pair wrote. "We owe these vulnerable populations more, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we are not contributing to the expansion of the current inhumane treatment of them."
Newsom had not publicly responded to the letter at press time.
Read the letter:
A pair of California state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to divest the state's pension fund from businesses that work with federal immigration detentions facilities.
State Assemblymember Cristina Garcia and state Senator Lena Gonzalez, both Democrats, made the request of Newsom in an open letter Wednesday that cited that day's walkout of employees of online retailer Wayfair in protest of the company's profiting off of child detentions.
"I am asking that we, as a State follow the example of these brave workers and cease vesting in publicly held companies that contract with, or provide services to companies that operate detention centers," the letter reads.
The letter cites conditions at the child prisons. As Common Dreams reported on Thursday, recent reports are showing those conditions are even worse than was previously thought. Customs and Border Protection child prisons were referred to by one expert as "torture facilities" in testimony for a lawsuit seeking an emergency restraining order against the conditions.
In their letter, Garcia and Gonzalez call for California to lead the way to hold accountable those profiting from child detention.
"It is extremely important that California stop funding actions directly or indirectly through investment and state contracts," the pair wrote. "We owe these vulnerable populations more, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we are not contributing to the expansion of the current inhumane treatment of them."
Newsom had not publicly responded to the letter at press time.
Read the letter:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy