NEW JERSEY — After months of action by immigrant rights organizers, the Elberon Development Group has decided to cut ties with their tenant, CoreCivic and their property, the Elizabeth Detention Center (EDC), a private immigration detention center that has a long history of inhumane conditions. Advocates continue to press for the immediate closure of the EDC and the immediate release of all people detained there, for Elberon to establish a reparations fund from their rental profits for the individuals and families of those who have been detained at EDC, as well as the release of people from all detention facilities.
Following a series of protests outside the Elizabeth Detention Center and weekly calls to Elberon Chairperson Anne Evans Estabrook and President & CEO Dave Gibbons from concerned local residents that had previously been met with silence, on July 14, 2020, the Elberon Development Group sent an email to those who had raised concerns, stating that “As supporters of many important educational, social service and religious organizations in the community, we want our values mirrored in our work” and thus have “shared with Core Civic our plan to end our relationship.” [Full email below]
The coalition involved in this campaign includes the New Jersey Advocates for Immigrant Detainees, New York City and North Jersey chapters of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Freedom for Immigrants, Pax Christi, the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project, First Friends of New Jersey and New York, Free Them All for Public Health, Critical Resistance, Occupy Bergen County, the Green Party of New Jersey, and many more.
