2019 Members of the Japanese American Community to Deliver Petition Calling on Nakamoto Group to End its Contract with ICE NEW

For Immediate Release Friday, November 22, 2019
Contact: Kathy Kojimoto (415) 572-3255;
John Ota (415) 370-4497

*** Media Advisory for Monday, November 25 ***
Members of the Japanese American community to deliver petition calling on the Nakamoto Group to end its contract with ICE Following the petition delivery, Tsuru For Solidarity and 18 Million Rising will hold a press conference alongside immigrants’ rights advocates from Sanctuary DMV

Rockville, MD-Tsuru For Solidarity and 18 Million Rising will deliver a joint petition with nearly 8,000 signatures to Jennifer Nakamoto, the CEO of the Nakamoto Group to demand Ms. Nakamoto end the Group’s inspection contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Nakamoto Group conducts nationwide inspections of ICE’s immigrant detention facilities which are designed to obscure abuses and perpetuate a culture of secrecy within the over 200 immigration detention facilities ICE operates.

In response to multiple reports of cutting corners in their inspection process and rubber stamping results to facilitate passing ratings, Ms. Nakamoto invoked her family’s experience of Japanese incarceration to shield herself from criticism. Today, members of the Japenese American community are calling her out and holding her accountable for her role in ICE’s sham inspection process.

WHO: Tsuru for Solidarity, 18 Million Rising and Sanctuary DMV WHAT: Tsuru for Solidarity and 18 Million Rising to deliver a joint petition to Jennifer Nakamoto of the Nakamoto Group to demand the Group end its inspection contract with ICE. WHERE: The Nakamoto Group, Inc, 11820 Parklawn Dr. Suite 240, Rockville, MD 20852 WHEN: Monday, November 25 at 1:00 PM ET VISUALS: Paper cranes representing the death and abuse in ICE detention

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Tsuru for Solidarity (tsuruforsolidarity.org) is a nonviolent, direct action project of Japanese American advocates working to end detention sites and support front-line immigrant and refugee communities being targeted by racist, inhumane immigration policies. We stand on the moral authority of Japanese Americans who suffered great injustices in U.S. concentration camps during WWII, and we say, "Stop Repeating History!" We are planning a "National Pilgrimage to Close the Camps" in Washington, D.C. in June, 2020.

18 Million Rising(18MR.org) brings Asian American communities together online and offline to reimagine Asian American identity with nuance, specificity, and power. We use this Asian American identity as the foundation to build a more just and creative world where our experiences are affirmed, our leadership is valued, and all of us have the opportunity to thrive.