by Cindy Knoebel
A new video from detained people at the Mesa Verde Detention Facility demonstrating their support for the Black Lives Matter Movement has been posted by the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity.
The video shows about a dozen detained men holding signs and wearing thin cotton masks with ragged edges; many of the men have written messages of solidiary with the Movement on their masks: "Stop racism" reads one. "Change the system" and "stop discrimination" say others.
An unnamed person in the group reads a statement confirming that some men have gone on a hunger strike and that "some are protesting in other ways." ICE has blatantly denied that a hunger strike has occurred at the facility despite this message from detained men at Mesa Verde tweeted by immigration reporter Jack Herrera on June 4:
"Black immigrants have been leading the hunger strikes at Mesa Verde immigration Prison," declared Freedom for Immigrants in a statement shown in the video. "ICE is ignoring their agency and their ability to organize and think for themselves, which is racist and deceitful. Immigrants in detention organize themselves every day."
