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ICE Detention Considered for Family Friendly Lake Nona-Medical City Area

“Lake Nona Medical City is a 650-acre, premier health and life sciences park in Orlando, FL, serving as a hub for innovation, research, and education. Located within the master-planned Lake Nona community near Orlando International Airport, it houses major institutions including Nemours Children's Hospital, the Orlando VA Medical Center, and the UCF Academic Health Sciences Center.  Lake Nona is a master-planned community with 40% reserved for green space, parks, and lakes.  The surrounding area includes residential, retail, and recreational options, growing from 1,500 people in 2000 to over 50,000 by 2015.”  AND AN ICE DETENTION CENTER.  A great place to settle and raise a family, right?  With children who draw pictures like the one above.  Except that drawing is by an immigrant child in detention. 

 

Children being held at the Dilly Immigration Processing Center in South Texas recently had the opportunity to share in their own words in recent reporting by ProPublica.  In their letters the children describe separation from family, longing to return to school and friends, illness, inhumane treatment, violation of due process, detention over allowable limits, boredom, sadness and FEAR.

 

So much fear.  Fear of an uncertain future.  Fear of what happens if they stay.  Fear of returning to dangerous situations in their home countries their parents sought to shield them from travelling 1000s of miles to the United States.  You can read their letters here.

These stories could soon be coming out of our own community.  DHS is currently expanding detention facilities across the nation, costing tax payers billions of dollars, and perpetuating this administration’s cruel policy of kidnapping, detaining and deporting immigrants. Men, Women and Children.  Without due process.  The idea of targeting the “worst of the worst” has long been disproven.  Now the MASS DEPORTATION promised in the campaign rallies of 2024 have come to pass.  And MASS DEPORTATION requires massive infrastructure. 



DHS is currently evaluating and purchasing massive warehouses nationwide including  the BEACHLINE LOGISTICS CENTER 8660 Transport Drive, Orlando, FL 32832.  This warehouse, is zoned industrial, because it was not designed for human habitation, is 439,945 SF with 98 loading doors and 4 drive in doors.  This location is approximately 12 miles from Nemours Children’s hospital, in the Medical City where the “do no harm” is practiced and taught.  12 miles from the families of Lake Nona enjoy their Town Center.  In the city limits of Orlando, “The City Beautiful.”    

 

Do we want immigrant families, children, housed in a warehouse?  Any families?  Any children?  In Orlando?  Anywhere?  Of course not.  

 

The City of Orlando ia currently stating they have no recourse due to the “Supremacy Clause” of the US Constitution.  The Orange County Commission is looking into it.  What this clause states is that federal law supersedes state and local laws in managing federal lands.  In the “Supremacy Clause” Congress is still provided oversight. 

 

As of this writing we are unsure of the status of the project.  What we know is this is not something we want in our community and we need to let our elected officials know.  At every level!  City, County, State and Federal.    

 

CALL TO ACTION!  Let your officials hear your concerns!  Call them all.  Choose your script:

 

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].  I'm calling to express my outrage about ICE’s plan to turn industrial warehouses into detention camps to further its inhumane imprisonment of our neighbors.  (Choose a concern below)

 

1.     These facilities are known for their abuse, neglect, and lack of oversight, and they cannot be allowed to operate here. I demand that [REP/SEN NAME] speak out against ICE’s expansion and propose regulations to prevent ICE from buying and building these camps in our state.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

2.     Detention warehouses divert critical resources such as water, electricity away from the local communities, could cut off tax revenue and foreclose other economic opportunities for local communities. I demand that [REP/SEN NAME] speak out against ICE’s expansion and propose regulations to prevent ICE from buying and building these camps in our state. Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

3.     Adding this significant number of individuals housed in a small area will have impact on local fire departments and EMT, roadways and traffic.  The financial impact of these issues will in all likelihood be placed on the local community. I demand that [REP/SEN NAME] speak out against ICE’s expansion and propose regulations to prevent ICE from buying and building these camps in our state. Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

4.     Industrial warehouses do not have the sewage and water infrastructure to ensure basic health for thousands of people and threaten to overwhelm local water and sewer system infrastructure leading to harmful pollution into local waterways. Poor sanitation with the large number of people in warehouse detention will be a lethal combination that will no doubt make people sick as virus and bacteria are able to spread rapidly in these conditions and into the community. I demand that [REP/SEN NAME] speak out against ICE’s expansion and propose regulations to prevent ICE from buying and building these camps in our state. Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

Need help finding your representatives, check the links below. 

 

Orange County Mayor/Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Jerry Demmings 407-836-7370


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