Advocates trek 130 miles to ICE facility
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Jaime Martinez (right) leads a small group from Monroeville United Methodist Church to Armstrong County on Day 2 of a 130-mile trek. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios
An immigrants' rights group is leading a 130-mile trek from Pittsburgh to the Northeast's largest ICE detention center.
Why it matters: Organizers are taking their message by foot into Central Pennsylvania, through rural and often conservative areas where immigration debates play out differently than in cities.
Driving the news: Frontline Dignity kicked off an eight-day walk Sunday from the South Side ICE office to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. The route spans shoulders, sidewalks, backroads and more.
- Walkers will at times hit nearly 30 miles a day, culminating in an April 12 vigil outside the ICE facility.
Context: Founded last year by Pittsburgher Jaime Martinez, Frontline Dignity is building a rapid-response network of legal observers to document ICE activity and support immigrant families.
- It now has more than 1,000 volunteers across six counties and has trained roughly 2,500 people.
Zoom in: Martinez tells Axios his own 1,000-mile, two-month Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, alongside historic civil rights marches, planted the seed for the journey.
- He says residents along the route have already stepped up.
What they're saying: "I had people coming up to me saying, 'I'll open my restaurant to you,' 'I have an Airbnb you guys can stay at,' 'I have a barn.' I think it's important to amplify that. Too often, people feel like no one wants to help. It's a very individualistic society, but, in reality, people do want to help," he says.
By the numbers: The walk, dubbed "Frontline on Foot," also serves as a fundraiser to expand Frontline Dignity's network and services, with a goal of $133,000. It had raised $25,000 as of Monday afternoon.
How it works: Participants will sleep in homes, churches, community spaces, camps and more along the way. Anyone can join for portions of the trip.
- Find a full list of planned stops here.
- They're accompanied by a friend traveling by car, helping map out the route and offering snacks, water, and other essentials during rests.
State of play: The privately run Moshannon Valley Processing Center, which holds about 1,900 detainees, has faced criticism over complaints of civil rights abuses and detainee deaths, Spotlight PA and WHYY report.
- ICE in previous statements has said it's "committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments."
- Clearfield County will make $1 million over five years as ICE's intermediary with the facility's private operator, but it faces growing pressure not to renew its contract as it rounds out its final year, per Spotlight PA.
- ICE detainees in the Pittsburgh region are often transferred to Moshannon to await immigration hearings.
The bottom line: The walk aims to connect with people beyond the usual advocacy circles and take moments for personal reflection, Martinez says.