CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta and a coalition of activists are working to prevent the opening of what would become California's largest ICE detention center in California City.
The group gathered for a press conference near the facility, chanting "Si Se Puede" in protest of the planned detention center. Huerta expressed concern about the impact such a facility would have on Kern County, an area with a significant farm worker population.
"Well that's actually pretty depressing. When you think of all the millions of dollars that the administration is spending to keep people incarcerated is really bad. And this will not be good for California City. It will not be good for the state of California or the nation. It's a very bad look actually," Huerta said.
Rosa Lopez of the ACLU Southern California has filed a records request seeking communication between the city and CoreCivic, the private company that owns the facility.
"It's just frustration because they are hiding something because that is not accurate," Lopez said.
Mayor Marquette Hawkins maintains there are no such records and says the city isn't hiding anything regarding communication with CoreCivic. The mayor indicated he's willing to speak with the activists about their concerns.
Meanwhile, CoreCivic continues working on a contract with ICE. During the press conference, security personnel kept protesters at a distance from the facility entrance.
The activists, including one California City resident, expressed concern that the detention center's opening could trigger ICE raids throughout Kern County as the facility would need to fill more than 2,500 beds.
When asked about those who believe the facility's opening is inevitable, Huerta remained defiant.
"We will do anything we can so that it does not open. We know so far they haven't followed the legal procedures that needed to follow. So I think this is an opportunity that maybe we can keep it from opening," Huerta said.
Supporters of the ICE detention center argue it would bring jobs and revenue to California City.
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