Approximately 100 demonstrators gathered Friday in West Michigan to denounce the opening of the North Lake Correctional Facility, an immigrant detention center in Baldwin.
The detention center has been the subject of several earlier protests this year.
The Independence Day event was organized by local immigrant advocacy groups, including No Detention Centers in Michigan, Cosecha Michigan, GR Rapid Response to ICE, and Lakeshore Rapid Response to ICE.
The date was an intentional choice: July 4, the media release noted, is a day for “reflecting on freedom as an ideal and spending time with family and loved ones.” As such, advocates gathered outside the facility to highlight the apparent disconnect between Independence Day and mass incarceration.
Speakers used the event to emphasize the controversies surrounding the GEO Group— the federally contracted private company that operates the North Lake facility.
As the nation’s primary prison operator, GEO has been scrutinized for influencing immigration and criminal justice policy in ways that expand incarceration for profit.
During the 2024 election cycle, GEO and its subsidiaries donated almost $1,000,000 to political candidates, with around 90% of funds going to GOP candidates.
In particular, the GEO Group has closely aligned itself with President Donald Trump. Trump’s first term saw 237 new contracts between GEO and the federal government. Furthermore, nearly 71% of the GEO Group’s funding is sourced from ICE. The Trump Administration’s emphasis on mass detention only serves to benefit the GEO Group.
Indeed, the Trump Administration’s budget bill allotted $170 billion to immigration enforcement and detention, with $45 billion earmarked specifically for detention facilities like North Lake.
The People’s Assembly of Detroit was unable to attend the event, but sent a statement that was read aloud at the protest addressing the June 30 ICE arrests on Detroit’s west side resulting in the arrest and detention of Marcos Fabian Arita Bautista, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras
The group was formed earlier this year in response to the influx of anti-immigrant rhetoric and action and works to provide ongoing support, legal counsel, and mutual aid to families impacted by detention and deportation of their loved ones. Additionally, the People’s Assembly has established a network throughout the area, reaching out to schools, community groups, clubs, and churches.
In a statement to the Detroit Free Press, ICE described Bautista as an “illegal alien from Honduras who had been removed twice from the U.S.”
Bautista first came to the U.S. in 2015. He was then deported to Honduras. He returned in 2018 and was subsequently deported for a second time. ICE also noted that, in 2022, Bautista pleaded guilty to driving an unregistered vehicle, operating without required financial responsibility, and assigning improper title in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
While ICE’s remarks provide a concise timeline of events, the People’s Assembly offered additional context. The group said Bautista was on his way to work June 30 when he noticed ICE agents were following him, at which point he returned to his home and family. Despite the efforts of neighbors and community advocates, ICE broke down the door, entered the home, and detained Bautista.
In recounting the events, the People’s Assembly elaborated on what this experience was like for the family.
”ICE didn’t care about terrorizing the children. ICE had their sniper guns pointed at a little girl’s bedroom window in the house with young children and Marcos’ pregnant sister inside,” the statement read. “ICE didn’t care about anything. ICE broke the door down violently and invaded the house without permission. ICE has not allowed him to speak with his family at all this week.”
However, the statement went on to add that the family and the community are grateful for the demonstrations of bravery and solidarity.
“This is what we all need to be doing right now,” the message concluded. “We have to rise up together against fascism, violence, and racism. We have to show that we, the people, do not want more detention centers. We want our community to be cared for, and for families to be able to work, play, worship, and learn in safety and peace.”
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