Angry Crete Residents Say: Education Not Incarceration

Residents of Crete attend a February meeting to protest a proposed immigrant detention center.

By Alyse Shields
JCUA Intern, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago

Echoes of “CCA go away” and “Education not Incarceration” were heard throughout the night as the organizers of the event spoke in depth about the impact of a private prison on property values, the identity of Crete, and the questionable history of CCA’s treatment of its detainees and employees.

Alyse Shields

It was Tuesday, February 28, and residents of Crete (a village south of Chicago) were meeting once again to discuss the impact of the proposed immigrant detention center on the small community in the south suburbs of Chicago, where Correction Corporation of America, Immigration Customs and Enforcement, and Crete officials still plan on constructing the center.

The crowd that gathered filled the gym at Crete Elementary, a space large enough to fit 300 people.  Those who attended listened intently and towards the end of the night many shared their own disbelief at the nature of such a project being brought to Crete, while others asked questions that only Crete officials have the inside knowledge to answer.

The Chicago Tribune has reported that plans for the center are moving ahead.

Clearly Crete officials and their large business partners are not as concerned with the voices of the residents of Crete. However, it is also clear that this crowd of determined citizens is not going anywhere, and that this meeting is not the last attempt to have their voices heard by those who are their elected leaders and representatives.

Crete Detention Center Update: Local Residents Remain Strong in their Opposition

By Emily Zucker Burns
JCUA Director of Organizing 

There’s a lot of activity to report about the proposal to build a large immigrant detention center in the village of Crete, about a one-hour drive south of  Chicago’s Loop.

On Monday, Jan. 23 more than 100 Crete residents  attended the village board meeting to get answers from the mayor and village trustees on the status of the proposed immigration detention center and to voice their opposition.

• Kadner: A display of democracy on detention camp plan

News later emerged that a portion of the proposed site for the detention center is located in a TIF district, which further challenges the claims that the facility will generate tax revenue that will benefit the town:

• TIF district could cut boost from Crete detention center

Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Luis Gutierrez met last with with ICE officials in Washington to express their opposition for the construction of the detention center. As a result ICE has committed to holding a hearing on the issue after the Primary Elections:

• Federal officials to hold hearings in Crete on proposed immigration detention center

Residents of Crete and the surrounding communities remain strong in their efforts to oppose the detention center. The group will be holding a second public meeting prior to the Primary Elections.

Crete Detention Center: Many Questions, Few Answers

Alyse Shields

By Alyse Shields
JCUA Intern, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago

Emotions remain high in the south suburban village of Crete, the site of a proposed federal detention center.

Another 100 people attended at the latest Crete Village Board meeting held Jan. 23. The small room overflowed with residents, most standing against every available wall, eager to have their questions answered.

I attended the meeting as a representative of JCUA and the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants.

Village Administrator Thomas Durkin opened the meeting by offering responses to questions that residents have been asking about the project. His mundane and perfunctory answers added little insight. Meanwhile, as Durkin spoke, a crowd of impassioned citizens outside the chamber chanted “No Crete Detention Center!”