By: Ashmar Mandou

After months of protests, meetings, and press conferences against the development of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Crete, the board of trustees of the Village of Crete, IL, voted unanimously to end further discussions with ICE and the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) on Monday night. The decision put an end to the detention center that was set to be built this year.

Many community supporters and organizations like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights are calling the move a ‘victory’ for the hundreds who have demanded an end to unjust deportations. “The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights applauds the Crete Village board for listening to the voice of local residents and their allies,” said ICIRR in a statement. “These voices have spoken loudly and clearly that we do not want a new immigration detention center in Crete that breaking up immigrant families is wrong, and that companies like CCA that profit from detaining people are not welcome in our communities.”