Activists demand Citizens Bank De-ICE its investments

Mill Valley, CA (06-06) – Human rights and immigration reform activists in Marin County protested at the Citizens Private Bank office calling for the bank to sever its continued financial support of private for-profit prison companies that run ICE facilities nationwide.

During a national protest on June 6, activists outside of the local Citizens Private Bank branch, continued to bring attention to its involvement by demanding the bank “De-Ice” their financial support for CoreCivic and the GEO Group that both operate ICE for-profit prisons. The bank is substantially involved in financing the companies through $2.5 billion in loans, bond underwriting, and in providing credit to them for the past twelve years.

Protesters assembled along the sidewalk across from a freeway frontage road while holding signs and banners and singing songs to amplify the bank’s involvement with ICE and the related human misery that involvement entails.

Outside of the bank entrance protesters placed a black cardboard coffin and inside the entrance door they carefully placed a protest sign naming six top bank executives saying they “Belong in ICE detention centers.”

Being strategically placed along the frontage road and the freeway resulted in much horn-honking by passersby as a show of support to “De-ICE Marin.”

As Citizens Bank has continued to maintain its financial relationship with the two companies by “profiting from pain,” in what protesters call a “deplorable” relationship, the activists are calling upon the public to act by boycotting the bank. They are also calling to spread the word by flooding the bank with phone calls, emails to bank executives and posting social media feeds. Additionally, they are asking depositors and investors to take a pledge to withdraw their funds in support of the “Not With Our Money Citizens!” campaign.

While some investors and institutions view private for-profit prisons as a lucrative growth industry, eight former financial backers of the prison industry including JPMorgan and Barclays have gotten the message that such support is bad for business and in 2019 severed their relationships due to continuing protests and negative public opinion for their involvement.

Citizens Bank’s other private for-profit prison client, the Florida-based company GEO Group, operates 51 facilities in the US under a $1.2 billion, 15-year contract with ICE including the now notorious Delaney Hall, the 1,000 bed ICE immigration prison in Newark, New Jersey. Detainees there began a hunger strike in mid-May protesting overcrowding, mistreatment, rotten food and inadequate medical care. The hunger-strikers are demanding to meet with New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherili and for the release of those suffering from serious illness, are pregnant or require medical care.

Since Memorial Day when Governor Sherili and Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka were denied access to visit the facility more than 80 people have been arrested during daily protests in clashes with federal agents and state police.

Protesters remain hopeful that the bank will feel the pain in losing customers due to their continued relationship with the prison industry and stand on the right side of history by withdrawing their financial support for ICE prisons.

Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

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