The Greene County Jail has a contract to house Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees. Their contract is for up to 300 detainees. Jessica Plake, media director for the Southern Missouri Immigration Alliance, or SMIA, said they average about 250 at any one time.
“And,” Plake said “the jail has about 1242 beds. So, people detained for Ice could make up about 25% of the Greene County Jail population.”
And Plake said, most of them have not been charged.
"Through our tracking,” she explained, “only 16 people out of the current 275 people currently detained as of today have a formal charge against them.”
The jail receives $100 a day from the federal government, per ICE inmate.
Plake and her group presented a petition to the Greene County Commission this month, asking the county and the Sheriff’s department to end the contract.
SMIA said detainment and detention policies have violated due process and human rights. Plake also said it's had economic impacts and affected communities where immigrants have put down deep and meaningful roots.
One of those communities is Troy, Missouri, where until earlier this year, Donna Hughes-Brown, lived with her husband, retired veteran Jim Brown. Hughes-Brown was born in England. She has lived in the US since she was 11 and has legal permanent resident status.
“Donna was detained,” Plake said, “after returning from a funeral in Ireland. And her life here in Missouri is one of deep roots, faith, family, caregiving and contribution.
Hughes-Brown was reportedly detained at O’Hare International Airport for two bad checks written in 2012 and 2015. Reporting indicates she received probation for the checks and paid back the sum, which was a combined $71. The black mark on her record was flagged as moral turpitude by ICE.
Hughes-Brown's case has made national headlines.
She will have a deportation hearing December 18. Ahead of that hearing, this Saturday, SMIA and partner organizations like Springfield Indivisible are organizing a vigil, in Springfield, Troy and Joplin. The event will recognize Hughes-Brown, but Plake said it is more than that too.
“The vigil is also going to serve to witness and acknowledge the pain of family separation, the disruption of lives, the inhumane conditions and honor impacted immigrants, their families and communities.” She said, adding, “we are also amplifying and also welcoming in to honor and recognize and witness the stories of those that we do not see amplified on a national scale.”
Plake said Hughes-Brown's case is representative of many in the immigration system, many who believe they are doing things the right way, and who have not known any other home country since they were children.