I first published this post, April 28, 2017. These centers were originally being built under President Obama and are continuing today. You own these immigration centers. If you want something done…do it!
Two of the nation’s largest for-profit prison companies are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Corecivic (formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America) and GEO Group are the world’s leading providers in for-profit incarceration. Corecivic owns the private prison in Shelby MT, Crossroads Correctional Facility.
Corecivic and GEO Group are in a fast and furious competition to build huge holding areas and prisons for illegal immigrants that are detained in the United States. These holding areas and prisons are commensurate with the private prison holdings that are built for American citizens. That is to say they dehumanize, degrade, abuse and provide substandard care for the humans placed in their facilities.
Many Montanans have strong opinions about immigration and illegal immigration in the United States. Many op-eds, speeches, rallies, and marches have been held in Montana supporting immigrants to the United States. Safe zones are created and people feel really good about the actions they take. People are mad about the treatment of immigrants. Let us see how mad you really are.
Vanguard Group Inc is the largest institutional investor in GEO Group. The largest owner of Corecivic is Vanguard Group Inc. The other significant holder is Blackrock Funds in both GEO Group and Corecivic
The State of Montana, through its investment portfolio, is invested in Vanguard Group Inc and Blackrock Funds. Every time you cash your Montana Employee Retirement check or your teachers retirement check you are cashing in on your investment of each detained and imprisoned immigrant and every prisoner confined in overcrowded prisons. For every SNAP recipient, welfare recipient and recipient of Medicaid in Montana, your benefit is based on the number of immigrants detained and imprisoned and for every prisoner forced into overcrowded prisons. How mad are you now?
If you are still mad about the conditions placed on immigrants and prisoners, contact your legislator and tell them to pull your investments in Vanguard and Blackrock and accept a lower benefit. If you are not willing to accept a lower benefit from the loss of the investment then you are complicit in the detainment and imprisonment of immigrants. How mad are you now?
You can march and rally and carry your little sign. The real test is are you willing to pull your investment in immigrant prisons and private prisons for American citizens and accept a lower benefit. Or do you demand the same benefit off the suffering of these humans. You own the investment, you decide. The prisons are yours, make the decision then take action or take the money and be complicit in the suffering you are rallying about.