News & Commentary

The American Civil Liberties Union said in May that those detainees are held in “crowded, unsanitary conditions” and that some have attempted suicide.

The companies are working to reactivate idle detention centers including a 1,033-bed facility in Leavenworth, Kansas, owned by CoreCivic.

A coalition of local, state, and regional organizations has come together to counter this narrative. It includes Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR), based in Kansas City; the ACLU of Kansas, which previously fought to shut the prison down; the local Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth; and Loud Light, representing immigrants in southwest Kansas. Together, the groups have mobilized residents, organized local faith leaders, and courted former prison guards to their campaign.

Local organizations, including the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and ACLU of Kansas were also present.

“When we say we’re worried about the dehumanization of people inside the facility, when we say that we’re worried about the exploitation of workers, when we talk about life and death circumstances for everyone inside, the answer to those questions does not count in dollar amounts,” Esmie Tseng, spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, told those gathered.

Since Chacon’s death, his family, as well as organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, have been asking for footage of the shooting to be released.

In early July, the ACLU of Kansas called for the “immediate release” of the body camera footage from the June 22 shooting. The release, the nonprofit said, would allow for transparency and accountability.

Earlier this week, the ACLU of Kansas called on the Lenexa Police Department to release the body camera footage from that morning. In a Facebook post, the ACLU said it stood with the community wanting justice for the young man.

On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas urged the Lenexa Police Department to release footage of Chacon’s killing.