Sixty-Three Organizations Call on the Department of Homeland Security to Not Renew the ICE Detention Contract at the Torrance County Detention Facility 

Written By Kevin Hopper

On Monday, April 22, 2024, the Dignity Not Detention Coalition joined sixty-three organizations on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Acting ICE Director Patrick J. Lechleitner calling for nonrenewal of the ICE detention contract at the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) when it expires on May 14, 2024.

The letter cites to ongoing violations of ICE’s own national detention standards since TCDF reopened in 2019, leading up to the death of Kesley Vial in 2022. Before and after Vial’s death, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) took the unprecedented step of recommending that no immigrants be detained at TCDF given poor conditions at the facility. Since OIG’s recommendations, the facility has continued to engage in systemic violations of people’s basic human and due process rights, as documented by oversight agencies, advocacy groups, and people in detention.  

Kevin Hopper

The power of words and pictures has always been immense. From cave paintings and stained glass to the advents of the printing press, photography, television and of course, the Internet.

Words and pictures are everywhere. Lucky for me, I have a talent for crafting and combining them into powerful and effective communication.

I grew up fascinated with photography, then fine art and graphic design. I also stumbled upon my writing talent when a college professor accused me of plagiarism (the highest form of flattery?). A career in advertising seemed the obvious track, so that was my initial route. However, my diverse skillset and ravenous appetite for learning new applications, tools and programs pushed me into journalism, art direction, digital publishing, UX/UI, AI, etc. This constant technological multiplicity keeps me both engaged, challenged, and admittedly, a bit overwhelmed.

Yet what remains constant? Words and pictures.

Regardless of industry, words and pictures are important. This is something that every successful company demands, and armed with the ability to craft both into effective communication, it is a thrill for me to perform.

My career path has been far from standard, but it has opened my creative mind to a multitude of applications and perspectives. Along the way, I have worked with and for some extraordinary people from all walks of life. I celebrate diversity in all forms and continue to seek and solve new communication problems via my design entity Hoppervision.

When time allows, I create artwork, take photos, cook impulsively, collect vintage furniture and snowboard when possible.

Let’s talk creativity in terms of solving your communications issues…

…over a taut espresso, of course!

https://hoppervision.com
Previous

Call for out-of-state attorneys to provide pro bono legal services to SIJS cases
Next

“What They’re Doing to Me is an Injustice”