Vigil for Lucia Vega Jimenez - Died in Detention

On December 28, 2013 Lucia died at Mount St. Joseph's Hospital, while still under CBSA custody.
SIGN THE PETITION: http://change.org/lucia

Vigil and community gathering to honour the life of Lucia Vega Jimenez who died under Canadian Border Services Agency custody. Lucia was a 42-year old Mexican migrant who worked in Vancouver, Canada as a hotel worker. She was arrested by Transit police for an unpaid bus ticket and then transferred to immigration authorities, who detained and incarcerated her at a provincial prison pending deportation. From there she was transferred to the detention holding cells at the Vancouver International Airport on December 19, 2013, and on December 20, 2013 she hung herself in the bathroom stalls of the detention center.

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Captions courtesy of the Radical Access Mapping Project, Un-ceded Coast Salish Territories of the Skwxwú7mesh, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
To learn more, see: http://radicalaccessiblecommunities.wordpress.com/subtitled-videos/
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Not one more.

Not one more death.

Not one more detention.

Not one more deportation.

Not one more death.

Not one more detention.

Not one more deportation.

Today we come together

with grief, sadness, frustration,
anger and rage

at the death of Lucia Vega Jimenez.

Who came in 2010 to canada seeking refuge.

We are gathered here to express our rage,
frustration, sadness and grief at her loss,

[ Tracey Mann
No One Is Illegal ]

and the countless loss
of so many migrants and refugees.

She was detained by CBSA (canadian
border services) officials

after being apprehended by Translink authorities
for not having adequate fare.

On december 19th she was transferred

to a facility at the airport.

The next morning on december 20th

she was found one hour after she had hung herself.

We don't know very much

[ Rocco Severo
Community Member ]

.

the timeline of what happened.

We know that she was in the airport cell

and then brought back to another cell

and back and forth.

But at this point she had spent at least 2 weeks

in a maple ridge jail.

Why did she spend so much time in jail?

This person referred her to mental health services

because obviously she was having a hard time.

They didn't allow her to have those 2 appointments

because almost immediately
she was transferred again to another jail.

CBSA has the responsibility to give an answer,


[ Karla Lottini
Journalist ]

because Lucia is not the first immigrant
that lost her life.

Stop this from happening.
We had a death in 2012, same deportation.

[ Ruby Walji,
Relative of Walji family:
2013 Deportation Order Lead to Murder-Suicide ]

There was another one in 2011, 2012,
then 2013.

This is 2014 and we got the same thing
happening again: deportation death.

But what a wonderful thing it is to see so many people from so many places,


[ Rev. Emilie Smith,
Anglican Priest ]

saying "nadie es ilegal".
No one is illegal.

The deportations must end.

The deaths must end.

And we call an end to all detentions.

We immediately order a full, transparent,
and independent civilian inquiry

and investigation into the death
of Lucia Vega Jimenez,

while under CBSA custody.

Cruel and punitive conditions of migrant detention

such as indefinite detention,

as well as the new Refugee Exclusion Act

that permits mandatory detentions

and a two-tier refugee system,

we call that this must come to an end.

Nobody should be set in this condition.

of taking their own life.

It is the most disgraceful, and I would say sinful
thing that has happened.

This is something that goes against
the very laws of humanity,

and the very laws that I would say our Creator made.

To love one another, and to care for one another.

[ crowd singing ]

... I send my love... into the earth...

Not one more detention.

Not one more deportation.

Not one more death.