August 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
Take Action Now to End Ice Killings
We cannot be silent.
Sign the “Hugs Beyond Bars” Petition
From the Interfaith Movement for Human Dignity
Cal Cities Detention Center, which is run by the for-profit company Core Civic, is the largest detention center in California, with a capacity of 2,500 detainees, located in a remote area of the Mojave Desert. People detained in Cal Cities are denied in-person contact visits with their loved ones in violation of ICE detention standards. Families travel long distances only to be separated by glass, and forced to talk with their loved one over the phone. Detainees are unable to embrace children, parents, or spouses.
Please add your name, sign and share the petition calling on ICE and CoreCivic to allow contact visits at California City Detention Center. Petition signatures will be delivered to local, state, and federal officials.
A report from California City’s Detention Center
By Cathy Mahoney
I recently traveled to California City together with FlIPR member Vicki Van Steinberg, Rev. Deborah Lee, and members of the Interfaith Movement for Human Dignity to speak out against the Cal City Detention Center at the City Planning Commission. Over 150 people from Kern County and beyond spoke out against the facility at the meeting, including former detainees and family members of people currently being held there.
The next day, I had the opportunity to visit with several detainees currently being held inside Cal City Detention Center. As you drive on an unmarked road in a remote part of the Mojave Desert, you suddenly see a surreal vision on the horizon—a giant detention center surrounded by multiple layers of razor wire rising up in the middle of the desert.
After passing through multiple gates and being cleared by security guards, we were led into a large visiting room. Although the room had many picnic tables—clearly designed for friendly in-person visits with family members—the detainees are only allowed to visit through a glass wall using a telephone.
The first detainee I met was Carlos Mendoza, a young construction worker who had been shot multiple times by ICE agents when he was driving to work early in the morning in April 2026. ICE agents fired 14 bullets at his car, 7 of which entered his body in his head, chest, and arm. Because of his injuries, he can only eat liquids and very soft foods. He has already lost 15 pounds since his detention. He is currently being charged with federal crimes and is being held in a separate area for the most “dangerous” criminals.
Carlos told us that he had just heard about the ICE murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo the day we visited. Carlos said he believed it was a miracle he survived his shooting by ICE and that he survived because God wanted him to get out and help other people. His biggest concern was worrying about his wife and young child.
Another detainee I visited had just been detained a week earlier, also while driving to his job as a roofer. He was still in shock. His biggest worry was what would happen to his wife and four children (all US citizens), especially his youngest child who has a disability and needs to be on oxygen continuously.
Other detainees talked about the lack of medical care and their poor nutrition. One detainee said they were only fed carbohydrates, with almost no protein, fruits, or vegetables, and milk only once a week.
It was a heartbreaking experience visiting with these young men who have been ripped away from their families and are now being locked in cruel conditions, hundreds of miles away from their families, making visits extremely difficult.
As we said good-bye, we promised the detainees we visited that we will continue to fight to end this cruel system of detentions and deportations, to shut down all the detention centers, abolish ICE, and establish a clear pathway to citizenship, so we can end this reign of terror.
A look at recent actions
FLIPR members join the Abolish Ice Vigil in Oakland on July 25.
Photo credit: Nora Goodfriend Koven
An ofrenda honoring people who have been killed by ICE or died in ICE custody. Photo credit: Karen Colaric
More opportunities to take action
Attend the “Know Your Rights Business Outreach” Training
Date & time: Monday, August 24, 11 a.m.
Location: Virtual
Support your community with business outreach education and support in San Francisco or the East Bay. You will develop relationships with business owners, managers & employees and help those impacted prepare in advance for encounters with immigration enforcement. Join Karen C and Sherry V, who have been doing this outreach steadily for a year. At this 1-hour zoom training, you will learn how to approach your contacts and will be granted access to continually updated materials to share with businesses.
Join Interfaith Court Vigils At ICE - SF & Concord
Date & time: Recurring Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; specific times via link below
Locations: SF: 100 Montgomery AND 630 Sansome Street; Concord: 1855 Gateway Blvd
ICE Immigration Courts have become sites of fear and danger for many immigrants simply trying to access due process. Join us in creating a sacred corridor of hope, connection, and beloved community, right outside the courtroom doors. Join the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and others to provide comfort, song, presence and support; various roles are available.
For more information, sign up & view calendars:
Become a FLPIR volunteer! Help us protect our neighbors and make a difference!
Give out and explain Know Your Rights cards
Outreach to businesses
Join “Court Watch” and “Welcome Navigator” programs
Adopt a Corner
Help with FLPIR events