Free Janito from Immigration Jail
Todd Lyons, Director of Boston Field Office Enforcement and Removal Operations
EDIT: 1/13/22
We are thrilled to report that Janito was granted bond by a judge on December 30th and was released from Strafford County Jail on January 4th on bond. He is recovering from his experiences and preparing to continue with his immigration case, living with family. Thank you for the support!!
Original Text:
Our friend Janito DeCarvalho who has been detained for over two full years has now been transferred to his third New England immigration jail after being assaulted by a Correctional Officer and advocating for his rights. We demand his release for his safety and wellbeing so he can continue to fight his immigration case at home!
Mr DeCarvalho was originally detained in the Bristol County House of Corrections starting in November 2019, surviving the assault there by Sheriff Hodgson and living through the inhumane conditions that caused the Department of Homeland Security to end their contract with Bristol County. Then Mr. DeCarvalho was moved to the Plymouth County Correctional Facility (PCCF), where conditions were, if anything, worse. Mr. DeCarvalho said in June 2021 when he was transferred to Plymouth "As we speak, I have no access to my legal paperwork, the books that I ordered and was waiting for while in Bristol, or any of my personal belongings...My point, since there is evidence and proof that I have suffered emotional stress and physically, why am I not given release and was instead sent to another jail with the same or worse conditions?"
Then in early November of this year, a correctional officer violently attacked Mr. Carvalho, wounding his nose, splitting his tongue, and injuring his finger. Mr. DeCarvalho was then pepper sprayed at close range. DeCarvalho maintained a personal hunger strike for 7 days after returning to PCCF from a nearby hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He broke his fast only after meeting with an ICE Officer and being told there would be movement forward with his case. Many community members called the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office demanding Mr. DeCarvalho be released for his safety. Instead he has now been transferred to the Strafford County Jail in New Hampshire to be detained there.
ICE needs to stop responding to assaults and violations of human rights by moving those who speak out. Mr. DeCarvalho has strong community ties and support and is an active member of the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN). He has an immigration lawyer and is fighting hard to win his immigration case and stay here with his community. There is no need to keep him caged and subject to these abuses as a civil detainee. Please begin the process to release Janito DeCarvalho immediately.
Petition by
To:
Todd Lyons, Director of Boston Field Office Enforcement and Removal Operations
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Mr. Lyons,
cc: Katherine Culliton-Gonzalez, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security; Maura Healy, Attorney General for the state of Massachusetts
We are writing to you as concerned residents of New England and other parts of the U.S. who care about the wellbeing of immigrants in our community. We are demanding that Janito DeCarvalho, currently held in Strafford County Corrections by ICE, be released for his well-being and safety.
Mr. DeCarvalho has been detained for years and suffered abuses in two county jails in Massachusetts while in ICE custody. He has an immigration lawyer and is working hard on his case. He has strong ties in the community through the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network which he has been participating in for well over a year. He is not a threat to the community and has already served his criminal sentence.
There is no reason to continue the inhumane and unjust detention of Mr. DeCarvalho. Please begin the process to release him to his community so he may continue to pursue a path to staying legally in the United States.
Sincerely,