POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A group of protesters who blocked the entrance to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center Monday in Pompano Beach vow to continue their demonstrations despite several arrests this week.
Seven protesters were arrested, six of whom were taken to the Broward County Main Jail after Monday's protest at the detention facility on Powerline Road, just north of Sample Road. The seventh protester was taken to North Broward Bureau.
Most of the protesters bailed out Tuesday morning.
"They kept us in the back of a van without any air on. It felt more than 100 degrees inside. They left us inside there for three hours," protester Mathi Mugilan Paguth Arivalan said.
Protesters told Local 10 News reporter Madeleine Wright that it was worth getting arrested to protest the immigration policies of the Trump administration.
The protesters, who were arrested on trespassing charges, ran out of jail to receive a hero's welcome from their friends.
"I think it was a huge success," Miryam Solomon, who was among those arrested, said.
"We were able to inconvenience ICE officers, which was our main goal, and draw attention to the issues of how ICE officers are destroying black and brown families," Alexis Butler added.
Two protesters locked themselves to a fence with a bike lock Monday, while others tied themselves to a car blocking the entrance of the facility.
It was a dramatic demonstration to protest the Trump administration's immigration policies and the private companies that run the prisons, where undocumented immigrants are held.
"No human being is illegal on stolen land," protester Flavia Franco said. "This is a nation made of immigrants, and unless you're a native to this continent, this is not our land."
First responders had to use electric saws to cut through the metal locks and remove the demonstrators.
Several social justice groups banded together to organize the protest.
The facility has been the site of protests in recent weeks, including one last month where demonstrators briefly shut down a street while calling for an end to ICE.
Now that they're out of jail, activists are planning to get back to work.
"What we're asking is (for) an end to all deportations. We're asking for asylum now and to abolish ICE," Franco said.
Critics call the privately-run facility a jail for people who haven't committed a crime -- immigrants waiting to be deported after being picked up on minor charges.
According to a 2016 inspection by Homeland Security, the facility has 700 beds and an average population of 589.
Only 26 people agreed to be interviewed about conditions at the site and none alleged any mistreatment, abuse or discrimination.
"The GEO Group, which is a for-profit prison corporation, works together with ICE to destroy black and brown lives everyday. We have to put a stop to that. We have to take action," protester Christian Minaya said.
Protesters are planning to be back at it again Wednesday morning with a protest at the ICE field office in Miramar.
The GEO Group released the following statement to Local 10 News:
"Their actions are misguided and based on a mischaracterization of our role as a long-standing service provider to the federal government, and totally ignore the fact that we have absolutely no role in setting immigration policy nor have we ever advocated for or against immigration enforcement or detention policies.
"Furthermore, the facilities we manage on behalf of the federal government have never housed unaccompanied minors. For over three decades, our company has managed ICE Processing Centers providing services for adults, and we have managed the Karnes Family Residential Center, which has cared exclusively for mothers together with their children since 2014 when it was established by the Obama Administration.
"On a daily basis, our dedicated employees deliver high quality services that comply with performance-based standards set by the federal government and adhere to guidelines set by leading third-party accreditation agencies. Our more than 23,000 GEO employees around the world are proud of our record in managing facilities with high-quality services in safe, secure, and humane environments. Members of our team strive to treat all of those entrusted to our care with compassion, dignity, and respect."