On July 12, over 50 people attended Lights for Liberty sponsored by Indivisible Action SW Florida. The event was held at the United Congregational Church in Punta Gorda.
Those in attendance called attention to the treatment of immigrant children in detention centers. The vigil resulted from reports of standing-room-only cells, infants going without diapers, and outbreaks of illnesses in the detention facilities.
Vielka Wambold, Chair of the Charlotte County Democratic Party Hispanic Caucus of Florida, shared her experiences from her frequent visits to the Homestead, Florida detention center while others in attendance read actual statements from children held at these facilities. “I didn’t know where my mother was,” said Griselda, 16, of Guatemala, who entered the U.S. with her mother in the McAllen, Texas, area. “I saw girls ask where their mothers were, but the guards would not tell them.”
The vigils occurred in hundreds of cities around the country. At least one event took place in every state in the U.S. as well as five continents.
