Departure rally: March 30, 3:30 PM, Cook County Jail, Chicago
Arrival Gathering: April 1, 12-1PM, By Crete Park (corner of Main St and 1st St), Crete IL; 1-4PM Procession through Crete

ICE is negotiating with the village of Crete and Corrections Corporation of America to build a new Immigrant Detention Center, a prison with the capacity to incarcerate 700-800 immigrants, just South of Chicago. The contract has not yet been signed – and until it is, this new prison can still be stopped. This is a call to action! Join us for a three-day walk as we oppose the new detention center and demand an end to the criminalization of our communities!

Walk a block with us, walk a mile with us, join us for a stop along the way, or meet up with us in Crete. Check back often for daily updates on the route and schedule!  Also please see information and logistics for walkers and how else you can support.

ROUTE AND SCHEDULE

Friday, March 30: (Little Village, Back of the Yards, Chicago Lawn, Wrightwood, arrive in Evergreen Park)
– 3:00 departure event, 3442 W 26th St, Chicago: we walk together to Cook County Jail for a gathering
–  4:30 – walkers step off from Cook County jail, corner of 26th St and California Ave
–  6:30, 30 min break – location TDB
–  9PM – arrival at St Thomas More, 2825 W 81st St – spend the night

Saturday, March 31
:  (Beverly, Blue Island, Harvey, Homewood, arrive in Chicago Heights)
–  8:30 AM walkers step off
–  midmorning stop – 30 min
–  lunch stop – 1:30 PM, 15734 S Halsted St, Harvey
–  3-4 PM – Rally in Harvey: 161st and Halsted, Harvey — with Human Action Community Organization
–  midafternoon stop – 30 min
–  8:30PM – arrival in Chicago Heights: Nena’s Bakery, 2316 Chicago Rd – dinner and spend the night

Sunday, April 1st
–  9AM walkers step off
–  12 PM – 1PM – GATHERING/CONVERGENCE in CRETE – Corner of Main St and 1st St
–  1PM – 4PM procession through Crete with several stops for actions and messages

WHY WE WALK – commitments
– No detention of immigrants – not in any back yard!
– Our families are being torn apart, so we walk together as one large family.
– The walk is a expression of the experiences of communities who have been criminalized – we are committed to immigrant justice and to full human rights, full dignity, for all. We do not accept the division of good immigrants vs criminals.
– No profit out of the criminalization, illegalization or incarceration of human beings
– Borders and cages do not create just and safe communities
– Detention is about dividing society into prisoners and their jailers. Creating an incarceration nation will devastate all our communities. We refuse to be the captives, and we refuse to be the captors.
– Detention is about an open market in the business of selling human lives. Detention centers are a new prison experiment, an old product re-packaged in new ways. Detention camps, concentration camps, interment camps, prisons serve the same repressive function

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT

There are many ways you can participate or show your support for this action and join the fight against detention.
– Endorse our action and points of unity: send an email with the name of your organization or group to: moratoriumondeportation@gmail.com
– Use your networks to spread the word about the struggle against detention. Distribute information about the action as broadly as you can. Hold a meeting to inform your community about detention.
– Make a small donation, cash or supplies, by mail or deliver (daily, 9AM-6PM) to: Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, 3442 W 26th St, Chicago. See contacts, below.
– Walk a mile with us or join us for gatherings along the way – please see route and schedule, and check back often as we add more details (locations and times) for stops, meeting points etc.
– Join us for the rally in Crete: April 1, 12 PM – gather in Crete Park (corner of Main St and 1st St); 1-4 PM procession through Crete.
– Bring documentation equipment and creative skills, help record the event and share your footage, so we may create an image campaign after the walk
– Offer a car ride to to the next stop en route for injured walkers or children who may need a rest
– Rise up, rise up!

Contacts:
moratoriumondeportations@gmail.com
Jose Herrera josefromchicago@aol.com 773-632-9992
Rozalinda Borcila rborcila@yahoo.com 813-789-0123

For Donations contact:
Father Jose Landaverde 773-512-8015
Maria Leon 773-397-9731 (Spanish)