Free Yohanne! Free Them All!

Governor Jay Inslee

About Yohanne:

Born in Tarlac, Philippines, Yohanne is 38 years old and came to the US with her parents when she was 3. Her father served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years and now resides in Marysville, WA with much of Yohanne's family. Yohanne is the mother of three children and a survivor of domestic violence.

In 2017 Yohanne was convicted of possession of stolen vehicles and served 18 months at the Washington Correction Center for Women in Purdy, WA . Upon completion of her sentence she was transferred to ICE on March 14, 2019 and has been at NW Detention Center in Tacoma since. Yohanne is currently appealing her Order for Deportation which was issued in June 2020.

Yohanne has been detained at NWDC for 19 months and counting. She has been exposed to exploitative and unsafe conditions. This week of October 26th, 2020, another employee at NWDC tested positive for Covid-19 and a quarantine inside the facility extended to a third living unit. When people ask about access to testing amidst an active Covid outbreak in their facility forcing them to quarantine. The expanded quarantine now includes over 80 people detained, many of whom have ongoing health issues putting them at high risk.  

We demand that Governor Inslee
  1. Release Yohanne and others so that they can be sheltered in place during this pandemic. The conditions of the NW Detention Center are unsafe and inhumane.  

  2. Issue a pardon for Yohanne and stop all deportations. If Yohanne was to be deported, we fear what will happen to her in the Philippines, considering the increased repression under the Duterte regime. It is cruel to separate anyone from their loved ones and community.

  3. End the collaboration of the Department of Corrections and ICE by ending all transfers. Like many inside the Detention Center, Yohanne has already served her time. It is unfair to continue to punish migrants and working class people for mistakes they have done in the past. It continues to widen racial and economic disparities, which further widens the gap between the rich and the poor.

GABRIELA Seattle is calling on the community to support the Free Yohanne and Free Them All campaign. We want Yohanne in our community. We don't care about her conviction, we know that people can remould and change. We demand that Yohanne and the other detainees be released from the NW Detention Center and can stay with their families!

Petition by
Jill Mangaliman
Burien, Washington
Sponsored by
Free_yohanne
Burien, WA

To: Governor Jay Inslee
From: [Your Name]

Dear Governor Inslee

I'm writing to you to ask that you take immediate action to release Yohanne and the people detained at the Northwest Immigration Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. Yohanne has been detained at NWDC for 19 months and counting. She is 38 years old, came to the US when she was 3. If Yohanne was to be deported, we fear what will happen to her in the Philippines, considering the increased state repression under the Duterte regime.

Time and time again, we see ICE and GEO have no regard for human life. More people have died in ICE custody through May of 2020 than all of 2019. ICE is keeping people locked in unsafe environments, exposing them to dangerous chemicals, retaliating with solitary confinement.

Recently, another employee at NWDC tested positive for Covid-19 and a quarantine inside the facility extended to a third living unit. When people ask about access to covid testing amidst an active covid outbreak in their facility forcing them to quarantine. The expanded quarantine now includes over 80 people detained, many of whom have ongoing health issues putting them at high risk.

ICE's response to Covid-19 is inhumane. With lack of ability to social distance, little to none PPE provided, and lack of access to testing, ICE now uses harmful chemicals to disinfect. Yohanne is suffering from headaches and rashes from the toxic chemicals which NWDC uses.

Like many inside the Detention Center, Yohanne has already served her time. Yohanne deserves to be back with her family in Marysville, WA, not suffering under the hands of ICE and their disregard for human life.

I’m writing to ask that you take action now by: 1) Release Yohanne and other detainees so that they can be sheltered in place during this pandemic, 2) Issue a pardon for Yohanne and stop all deportations, and 3) End the collaboration of the Department of Corrections and ICE by ending all transfers.

Sincerely,