Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo lead petition signees for closure of Texas ICE detention centre
Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo are among almost 100 figures who have signed a public petition demanding the closure of an ICE detention centre in Texas.
The Dilley ICE detention centre, located towards the south of the state, is currently detaining a number of children and families within its facility, and as such, a petition has been filed online to demand its closure and release the children being held there.
Among a myriad of signatures from activists and medical professionals, 99 well-known names, listed as “artists”, have also signed the petition, not limited to the likes of Madonna, Pedro Pascal, Gracie Abrams, and Wunmi Mosaku, along with Fonda and Ruffalo.
Part of the description listed on the Change.org petition says: “The harms of detaining children are known and well documented. Court filings of abuse against children have included refusals to provide clean water, rotten food contaminated with worms, dangerous medical neglect, sleep deprivation, denial of legal counsel, the separation of children from their families, and retaliation against families protesting the inhumane conditions.”
The statement continues: “Children belong in schools and on playgrounds, not in detention centers. We urge the federal government and CoreCivic to close the Dilley facility immediately, return children and families to the homes and communities they were taken from and to end child imprisonment now.”
With almost 16,000 people having signed the petition at the time of writing, it comes as the latest major protest against ICE across the United States amid protests against President Donald Trump’s government.
Ruffalo has been one of the most prominent anti-ICE voices in Hollywood, wearing a ‘Be Good’ pin to the Golden Globes in January, in honour of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
Subsequently, he also told Marty Supreme star Kevin O’Leary to “STFU” in defence of Billie Eilish’s anti-ICE speech at the Grammys, when O’Leary had implored the singer to “shut your mouth, and just entertain.”
As one of the most high-profile signatories on the list, Ruffalo has joined a slew of voices demanding change not just in Texas but across the country, as the statement for the petition concluded: “Our commitment does not end with closure. We demand transparency, accountability, and systemic reforms to prevent these abuses from happening anywhere in the United States.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.