WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS | ICE BUILDING

The Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) building is the first step of deportation and where family members are first detained. This building has jurisdiction in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. On Monday, October 12th, 2015 on Indigenous Peoples Day, Ortiz organized over over 30 volunteers and undocumented families from Juntos to place the words of Ana, an undocumented mother, in front of the ICE building. Ortiz and the team of volunteers installed the 90’ long words 'WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS, RISKING OUR LIVES, FOR OUR FAMILIES AND OUR FUTURE". These words were placed at the exit point where the detained family members are then transported to other prisons to process their deportation.

Ortiz states “A high point in my career was this powerful moment when we gathered as ICE agents looked down at us, we stood together in front of this building that represents fear and together in solidarity became fearless.”

ERES MI TODO | CITY HALL

At City Hall, “Eres Mi Todo” depicted the portrait of Maria and her daughter and was placed on top of the Compass Rose by Edmund Bacon in the center of the city where north, south, east and west meet. Maria's husband lived in Philadelphia and was deported. He attempted to cross the border again to be reunited with his family. He was caught by ICE in Texas, served a 3-year jail sentence in California and was deported back to Mexico. Maria continues to live in Philadelphia, now a single mother, she is raising her five children. Her story, like the compass, serves as a symbol of migration and its connection to many immigrant families navigating through unjust systems and searching for a better life in this country. Below are audio clips of Maria telling her story. She speaks about the difficulty of making the decision to stay or leave to Mexico to be reunited with her husband.

TE AMO | LOVE PARK

Suyapa proudly wears this gold necklace on her chest. It is a memory of her oldest daughter that she carries with her. Suyapa left Honduras fleeing violence, she left her sons behind and crossed the border with her two youngest daughters, was detained in Texas, and is now fighting deportation proceedings in Philadelphia. Suyapa speaks about love and what happens to love when you leave or are forced to leave. Listen to Suyapa’s story below.

SE SIENTE EL MIEDO | 9TH STREET MARKET

Audio translated in English:
They (ICE) arrested me and I was detained for about 8 hours… I got out of there around 6… They sent me home but with an electronic shackle. I had to put it on and not leave the house in 12 hours. Only for about 12 hours during daylight I could move around out of the house, but in the evening I had to be back home. And …I had that on me for about 4 months and I went to work with it, and came back home in the evening. Every two weeks they would come and search my house. They frequently made phone calls to me. At the beginning, I had to sign papers every week and later every two weeks. Until I could get rid of that thing, I felt that I was in prison. To tell you the truth I was not in peace in the street, doing the shopping or anything. I used to work for about ten hours, so I had only half hour to go to work and another half hour to come back home. That was about all the time I could spent outside, and I could not hang out in the street. I feel… yes! I’m a little scared but not a lot now… as I used to feel, I think this is the way it should be. Step by step you get to learn what you can get from this country …you have few rights.