Community Corner
UPDATE: Protests Scheduled Amid Bergen County Jail Hunger Strike
An ICE-ERO spokesperson responded to claims made by activist groups on Tuesday as a week-long protest continues outside Bergen County Jail.
This story was last updated at 2:33 p.m. Tuesday.
HACKENSACK, NJ — Northern New Jersey activist groups have scheduled a full week of protests at the Bergen County Jail, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees are continuing a now weeks long hunger strike.
Activists from Ridgewood for Black Liberation, BLMxTeaneck and Wayne for Change have all shared a social media post announcing not only the scheduling of the demonstrations, but also call and email scripts, hoping to reach county and state officials.
The demonstration Tuesday is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m.
This comes as an ICE-ERO spokesperson confirmed with Patch that the hunger strike is ongoing.
"It's still continuing, but [the] number has gone down from 9 to 8," they said.
This coalition of activists has been outspoken on the issue, seeking to support the detainees in their effort to be released from the Hackensack Jail amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, Ridgewood for Black Liberation levied this statement against ICE.
The Bergen County Jail has turned off the heat on the hunger strikers. The strikers are also drinking toilet water. #shutdownbergen #bergencountyhungerstrikers
— Ridgewood for Black Liberation (@RW4BL_) December 1, 2020
In response, an ICE-ERO spokesperson denied the claims.
"Both accusations are completely false," they said.
A protest was scheduled for the Friday after Thanksgiving, in addition to the protests scheduled for this week.
The goal of the hunger strike, according to Gothamist, who first reported the story, is to win their release, so they can fight their deportation cases from outside the jail walls, where, hypothetically, they'd be safe from the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Matt Katz, who reported the story for Gothamist, the hunger strikers were aware of the demonstration outside the jail.
Hunger strikers were aware of the "Free Them All" protest today outside the jail https://t.co/0lBiN5bPcv
— Matt Katz (@mattkatz00) November 27, 2020
He also gave an update on the health conditions of the inmates, as of Nov. 27:
14th day of hunger strike in ICE detention at @BergenCountySo Jail. Detainees are falling sick & collapsing, they tell me. They have existing medical conditions, fear Covid, want to fight deportation cases from home. ICE confirms: "9 detainees participating in a hunger strike."
— Matt Katz (@mattkatz00) November 27, 2020
When asked about the health of the eight ICE detainees currently on hunger strike, an ICE-ERO spokesperson said they could only update an earlier statement, but didn't provide specific details.
"As of Nov. 30, eight detainees in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody are participating in a hunger strike at Bergen County Jail in New Jersey," the spokesperson said.
The coronavirus has been a cause for concern within New Jersey jails throughout the duration of the pandemic.
Earlier this month, the state released more than 2,000 inmates to try and control the spread of the virus, but 88 of those newly freed people were almost immediately placed in ICE custody, according to a Patch report.
There are no active coronavirus cases among detainees in the Bergen County Jail, according to the latest ICE statistics, but 10 active cases among ICE detainees in the Elizabeth Detention Center.
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