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El Refugio Essentials

This Día de los Muertos, we gather to remember and honor those who have died in Georgia immigration detention. Just this Friday, October 23, Luis Sandoval, a 48-year-old Salvadoran man, died in ICE custody at Folkston. His death is a painful reminder of why we continue this work. Join us at Oakland Cemetery Nov. 1st, as we honor their lives, remember their names, and stand together for a future without detention. Swipe for details on where to find us. We hope to see you there! Sign up for updates with link in bio!

Mr. Ramirez Vargas has been detained at Stewart Detention Center since July 2025. He is an amputee, uses a wheelchair, and lives with serious medical conditions. Despite his disability and ongoing medical needs, ICE continues to keep him detained while his health declines. Mr. Ramirez Vargas has family, community, and a support system in the United States. He deserves dignity, proper medical care, and the opportunity to be with his loved ones. ☎️ TAKE ACTION Call Senator Warnock's office at (770) 694-7828 and urge them to advocate for the immediate release of Mr. Ramirez Vargas. Tell his office: "Mr. Ramirez Vargas is a disabled man with serious medical conditions who has been detained at Stewart since July 2025. We urge Senator Warnock's office to take action and advocate for his immediate release." Share this post and help ensure Mr. Ramirez Vargas is not forgotten. This is the first post in a series highlighting Mr. Ramirez Vargas's story and the urgent need for his release.

El Refugio received multiple calls from people detained at Stewart Detention Center reporting raw sewage flooding their cells and exposing them to unsanitary conditions. While water service has reportedly been restored, serious concerns remain about sewage exposure and sanitation. With severe weather approaching, the urgency is even greater. Restoring water does not erase the harm. No one should be detained at Stewart.We urge Senators @senatorwarnock and Jon Ossoff to intervene, demand immediate action, and ensure the safety of everyone detained at Stewart. Read our full press release on our website and follow for updates!

Join El Refugio next Sunday at Oakland Cemetery for Día de los Muertos. Visit our altar and join us as we remember and honor those who have died at Stewart Detention Center. Remembrance must also move us to action. Now is the time to stand together and be part of the movement to end immigration detention. We need you with us! SIGN UP LINK IN BIO!

ICE knew Jesus Manuel needed medication. He never received it. Days later, he died in ICE custody. ICE has shifted from public spectacle to quieter, harder-to-see enforcement. But across the country, the result is still gruesome: people are being taken, harmed and killed. Changing tactics will not make ICE less violent. READ FULL ARTICLE FROM @guardian_us link in BIO!

How to find someone in custody! Great video by @hellopedrochavez

So many of you have been part of these 16 years, whether you've volunteered, shared a meal, supported our work, or simply been a friend along the way. We'd love to have everyone together for a night of good food, music, and catching up! 📅 November 7 | 5–8 PM 📍 Be Nice House, Atlanta 🎟️ Tickets are $50 and include dinner and a drink. LINK IN BIO!

16 years of open doors, radical hospitality, and community over cages. Now THAT calls for a celebration! Join us for a night of food, music, friends, and community as we celebrate 16 years of El Refugio and raise $16,000 to keep our work going! 📅 November 7 | 5–8 PM 📍 Be Nice House, Atlanta 🎟️ $50 per ticket Get your tickets and come celebrate with us! https://elrefugiostewart.org/nov-7/ OR LINK IN BIO

📍Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, GA. ⏰ 1:30 PM 🙏🏽 Austell Mausoleum SWIPE FOR MAP DIRECTIONS

@shutdownfipc shared this powerful video of what is really going on in detention in GA. Dont just watch! reshare, write @jonossoff and @raphaelwarnock!

Closing out Día de los Muertos with a special video dedicated to our community. 🧡 For those we've lost, the families who carry their memory, and everyone who continues to stand together through grief and struggle. We remember, we love, and we keep fighting for a world where our communities can live with dignity and freedom. One of the most powerful moments of the day came unexpectedly, with just a voice, a guitar, and so much heart: Amor Eterno featuring @relevanzia_oficial ❤️. Watch until the very end. You won't want to miss it! So much love to our national partners @detentionwatch and everyone who stands with us. In grief, in love, and in resistance. Together, always.

Today, we remember and honor the people whose lives were taken by a violent immigration detention system. They were more than names on a list. They were people with families, communities, and futures stolen by a system that should never have existed. Their deaths are not isolated tragedies. They are the consequences of a system built on incarceration, neglect, and dehumanization. We honor them with grief, with anger, and with the determination to fight for a future where no one else loses their life to immigration detention. Abolish ICE. End immigration detention.

Our very own @el_amilcarvalencia paying tribute to all those in detention 🙏🏽. Stop by! Sign petition!

Make sure you stop by and stand in solidarity with all the people in detention today @oakland_ea !!

We've spent 16 years showing up for families, building community, and standing together, and that's something worth celebrating! ❤️ But with attacks on immigrant communities growing more aggressive, our work is far from over. We're raising $16K to meet this moment, and we need you with us! 🎉 Join us November 7 or donate directly through the event page, no ticket purchase needed! https://elrefugiostewart.org/nov-7

We mourn the death of Luis Sandoval, who died in ICE custody at the Folkston Processing Center on October 23. Another life lost in a system that continues to put thousands of people at risk. Mr. Sandoval is the 23rd person reported to have died in ICE custody in Georgia. No one should die in detention. No one should be subjected to abuse, medical neglect, or conditions that put their lives in danger. We demand a full, independent investigation into his death and the closure of the Folkston Processing Center.

Standing with @shutdownfipc today! Make sure you take action! Follow them for updates and click the QR for follow up steps!

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