From a letter sent to FFI by Erickson Martinez, who has been transferred to Krome Service Processing and Detention Center
I appreciate what your organization is doing when a person is detained and locked up. Truly your message brings a voice of freedom for immigrants.
I don’t know if you know my situation, but I have been in custody for 33 months while under DHS custody at Baker County Detention Center. My nose was punched by a sheriff officer while I was handcuffed and due to that my nose was broken according to DHS. They investigated with no result and will not release the camera footage of the incident of this officer’s use of abusive force against me and their cover up.
At this time, I am so over all this. All I’m asking is for DHS/ICE to fix my broken nose because I did not cause this and did not come into ICE custody with a deviated fractured nose and it is now difficult to breathe. It’s an everyday struggle and know that I truly appreciate all your organization does. I appreciate the visits, books, insoles, phone calls and all that you do specially for immigrants behind these cold walls they call detention centers. If you ask me, they are county jail corporations making profit on the pain of others. What is the price of Freedom? Some will never know because their physical freedom has become just another memory. Some women, kids and men trying to get to this land will pay with their lives like soldiers fighting for freedom for their families.
So many faces, so many lives and stories. I’m sure you know what I mean. I don’t think any man will bring peace and equality because we are just flesh. This is the result of our imperfections. Whoever you may call a higher force has to intervene because human decisions in this world will not get better.