At California City’s massive ICE detention center, contact visits are banned, leaving families separated by a thick pane of glass. Teresa Reyes drove 300 miles to be with her son, tattoo artist Guillermo, on his 32nd birthday, only to find that she could not give him a gift, share a meal, or even touch him. The story highlights the harsh restrictions on family visits at the state’s largest immigration facility and raises questions about whether officials are truly listening to the voices of detained residents and their loved ones.
In the California City facility, ‘contact visits’ are strictly forbidden – but detained residents aren’t staying quiet. Are officials listening?Teresa Reyes drove 300 miles to be with her son on his 32nd birthday in May, but she couldn’t give him a gift, share a meal with him or give him a hug. She couldn’t even touch him.Her son, Guillermo, a tattoo artist from San Jose, is locked up in the California City immigration detention center, California’s largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, and the only way he can see his mother is behind a thick pane of glass. Continue reading...
