On the eve of the Day of Remembrance, marking President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s authorization of the incarceration of Japanese Americans and individuals of Japanese descent during World War II, a group of demonstrators congregated outside Tacoma’s Northwest ICE Processing Center, asserting that history is repeating itself.
Operated by the Geo Group, the facility serves as a “processing facility” for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with a capacity to accommodate over 1,500 individuals at any given time, many of whom await rulings on asylum claims or deportation proceedings.
Persistent scrutiny has surrounded the detention center, initially from activists and subsequently from Washington lawmakers, amidst accounts of substandard conditions relayed by individuals detained within. The Geo Group has refuted these allegations.
On Sunday, La Resistencia, the principal organization amplifying these grievances, collaborated with Tsuru for Solidarity, comprising descendants of those incarcerated during World War II, to demand the closure of the facility.
Accompanied by drums, shakers, and a public address system, the coalition directed chants toward the facility in an effort to convey their message to those held inside, likening the conditions to the internment camps of World War II.
Kyle Kinoshita, whose family included fifteen members detained at the Minidoka concentration camp in Idaho, emphasized the importance of remembering such experiences. His mother advocated for reparations following their internment.
“These are types of experiences that we can’t forget,” remarked Kinoshita, who serves as president of the Seattle Japanese American Citizens League. “Whenever we see some people in a similar situation — you see lots of people of Japanese descent here — we resonate with that message.”
A spokesperson for the Geo Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In recent years, the detention center has become a focal point for protests, particularly following the election of former President Donald Trump. Many demonstrations have been led or inspired by La Resistencia, whose primary spokesperson, Maru Mora-Villalpando, faced near-deportation herself due to her undocumented status.
Maintaining communication with those detained, La Resistencia broadcasted a video feed from one incarcerated individual to the protesting crowd on Sunday. According to Mora-Villalpando, detainees have frequently initiated hunger strikes this year to protest the center’s food quality and cleanliness.
The Washington state Department of Labor and Industries and Department of Health have initiated legal action against the facility in recent times, alleging restricted access for inspectors. Last year, lawmakers passed House Bill 1470, mandating more frequent health and safety inspections at the center.
Between 1942 and 1945, over 100,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated in camps across the United States. Many were temporarily held at the Puyallup fairgrounds, where protests also unfolded on Sunday, before being relocated to various locations in the West, including Idaho, California, Wyoming, and beyond. The initial detainees were removed from Bainbridge Island.
