JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Community activists spoke out against the planned ICE detention center at Camp Blanding in front of the federal courthouse downtown, Friday evening.
They are hoping they can stop the facility from being built.
Construction was expected to begin this week, but it hasn’t happened yet.
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State officials still have not provided any updated timeline.
“No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!” the crowd of about two dozen protesters chanted.
Dan Lipp is with the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance.
He said he’s opposed to any state-built detention center, regardless of where it’s proposed, but he argued Camp Blanding is a particularly offensive choice.
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“There’s no putting lipstick on this pig, but since it’s here, we will fight it here. We will go out to Starke, which is a little bit more of a rural community, where they have limited resources,” said Lipp. ”And that lake and the access they have to it, that’s a big resource for them. We’re not gonna let the government take it away on a whim.”
Even Republican State Representative Judson Sapp (R-Palatka), who represents Camp Blanding, told Action News Jax last week he’s been hearing concerns from his constituents.
Still, he argued that the overall mission is one worth pursuing.
“The long-term, goal here is a good one for the United States and that’s what we have to keep in mind as we do this, despite some of the things we might not like about it,” said Sapp.
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But Lipp is hopeful state leaders will be forced to backtrack if enough people raise their voices in opposition.
“We want to show them that we will stand up and fight for immigrants who don’t have voices, because if they were to show up with us, they would be arrested,” said Lipp.
The immigrant rights groups will be out at Camp Blanding for a protest starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 19.
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