By: Monica Maldonado, GALEO Student Intern

Over recent history, the Latino population has sky-rocketed in the United States. In 1970, Latinos made up about 9.1 million people in the total U.S. population. Today, that amount has increased by six-fold. Latinos are now over 53 million strong in the United States. With Latinos accounting for over half of the United States population growth from 2000 to 2012, it is safe to say that Latinos have arrived with a powerful influence. Furthermore, it is projected that Latinos will be accountable for 60% of the nation’s population growth through 2050. Latinos are indeed the fastest growing minority group [2]. However, mere presence doesn’t equate to power affecting change. Action, organization, and involvement are what make change happen.

By: Genesis Castro, GALEO Student Intern

The state of Georgia currently houses 4 detention centers that detain immigrants awaiting deportation proceedings: North Georgia Detention Center in Gainesville, Atlanta City Detention Center in Atlanta, Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, and Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, the largest immigrant detention facility in the nation. The American Civil Liberties Union[i] published a report in 2012 detailing atrocities faced by the detainees at these centers that violated International and National Civil Rights laws, including physical abuse, being fed spoiled or expired food, and the use of “segregation” or solitary confinement. When the ACLU interviewed detainees for its report, the most common reason that many detainees ended up in detention centers was because of traffic stops. Others were detained after reporting crimes, including domestic violence, and only 1 out of the 68 detainees that were interviewed was apprehended at the border.   Below is a brief summary of each detention center and list of conditions:

By: Abril Castro, GALEO Student Intern from The George Washington University 

By Diana Stephanie Lara