Thirty-six Jewish demonstrators from the Never Again Action group were arrested on Sunday during a protest at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in New Jersey. Calling to “never let anything like the Holocaust happen again,” 200 Jewish protesters converged on the holding facility for undocumented migrants at the Elizabeth Detention Center.
The group’s Facebook page reported on Sunday night: “Jews are shutting down the ICE Detention Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, because #NeverAgain Means never again. As Jews, we cannot sit and watch as ICE terrorizes immigrant families, separating children from their parents and detaining them in deplorable conditions. As Jews, we know that #NeverAgainIsNow.
“Until our politicians cease their violent rhetoric, take drastic action to shut down ICE, and create safe conditions for immigrants and asylum seekers, we will make it impossible for ICE to do business as usual,” the group said.
A go-fund-me fundraiser page titled “Support Jews Saying Never Again Means Never Again” created on June 28, has already raised close to $30,000 out of the goal of $54,000.
The fundraiser page boasts: “Our first action was last Sunday (6/30) when hundreds of us came together from all over the country and disrupted business as usual at the for-profit, privately owned Elizabeth Contract Detention Center in New Jersey. Together, we made headlines and 36 Jews were arrested.”
“Now we need your support to cover their legal fees,” the fundraiser page continues, somewhat sheepishly. “But this is just the beginning. More actions are being planned from coast to coast. However, as a grassroots group of young Jews who are not associated with any organization or institution, we rely completely on your financial support. Will you help us reach this goal by donating to and sharing this GoFundMe page?”
The group promised that “all excess funds raised will go to Movimiento Cosecha,” a leftwing political action group pushing for immigration reform.