(SACRAMENTO, CA, 2/13/19) - The Sacramento Valley office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) will be joining other Sacramento Immigration Coalition advocates on Thursday, Feb. 14, to visit with and hold a press conference for Yuba County Jail detainees who are on a hunger strike.

Forty-six immigration detainees at the jail have been refusing to eat since last weekend in a protest against conditions at the facility.

READ: Yuba County Jail immigration detainees declare hunger strike (Appeal-Democrat)

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Sacramento Immigration Coalition holds a press conference for the ICE detainees who are on a hunger strike at Yuba County Jail.

WHERE: Yuba County Jail, 215 Fifth St, Marysville, CA 95901

WHEN: 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14

MORE INFO: CAIR-SV plans to live-stream the press conference on its Facebook page.

CONTACT: CAIR-SV Policy & Advocacy Coordinator Mahmoud Zahriya at 916-441-6269 or mzahriya@cair.com

Detainees’ demands include:

• Immigration detainees and county inmates must be housed separately.
• Immediately improve medical, mental health and dental treatment.
• End punitive conditions for detainees.
• End the dehumanizing daily 19-hour lockdowns.
• Programming must be offered to detainees.
• Provide for regular access to exercise and fresh air.
• Follow ICE guidelines for grievance procedures.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Translators must be offered.
• Address maintenance issues in a timely manner.
• Address unsanitary conditions.
• Provide for an independent oversight committee with unannounced visits.

“This will be my fifth visit to the Yuba County Jail, and every time I have witnessed poor and inadequate medical care for detainees with chronic health or mental health concerns. At least 40 individuals have attempted suicide in recent years. The jail is so understaffed that other inmates would have to facilitate operational duties for our client visits,” said Mahmoud Zahriya, CAIR-SV policy & advocacy coordinator, who will be speaking at the press conference. “It’s clear the Yuba County Jail will not remedy the situation on its own accord. We look forward to Sen. Kamala Harris’s leadership on this issue.”

READ: Lawyers: 41 Suicide Attempts At Yuba County Jail Point To Inmate Mistreatment (CBS)

The jail currently has an average of 180 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees per day, according to the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department.

It has a long-standing contract with ICE to house detainees and the contract has been generating about $5 million in revenue yearly, according to the Appeal-Democrat.

The county has been under a court order to improve jail conditions for 40 years.

READ: Inmates sue over conditions at Yuba County jail (Sac Bee)

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

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