BAJI Georgia COVID19 Post-Release Support Services

We know these are challenging, scary and even confusing times for everyone. As millions of us shelter in place from coast to coast, people imprisoned and detained are left with zero control of their fate. The threat of a coronavirus outbreak in jails & immigration detention facilities is imminent. People locked up are extremely vulnerable to the spread of infectious disease due to their deprivation of liberty, deteriorating health while imprisoned, and the track record of fatally flawed medical care in jails & Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) custody. Human beings being detained deserve freedom and must be released immediately.  

As the national demand to “Free Them All” calls for releasing people in detention centers, jails, and prisons, it’s vitally important to reunite them with their families and get them out of harm’s way. We’ve seen ICE release people at airports & bus stations without weather-appropriate clothing, funds, or even basic guidance or instructions about where they are. This has led to confusion, people getting stranded, and difficulty accessing support. Due to COVID-19 and their possible exposure to the virus,, many of the released immigrants are facing housing insecurity as it is too dangerous for them to live with their relatives or sponsors this soon after being released from detention. BAJI Atlanta, our partners, and our communities are proactively assessing what resources exist in our communities to support people released from ICE custody and how best to coordinate and allocate those resources. 

BAJI Atlanta is assisting our released siblings by providing desperately needed support services, including communication and language access, cash assistance and resources for food, housing, medical care, transportation and other needs. Your donations are critical to expanding the reach and sustainability of our efforts. We have also been called upon to assist Black immigrant workers impacted by COVID-19 who need direct cash assistance, food and other resources.

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