De-ICE Citizens Bank Rally

Join Good Neighbors Getting it Done in WNY and thousands of people across the country to send Citizens Bank a clear message: financing private prison and immigration detention facility operators The GEO Group and CoreCivic is bad for business.

Citizens Bank is bankrolling the country’s two largest prison companies that are earning record profits operating dozens of ICE detention facilities. While most major banks have cut ties with CoreCivic and The GEO Group, Citizens Bank is deepening its financial support for these companies, which are already holding more than half of the 70,000 immigrants currently in ICE detention centers across the country.

The bank’s capital is supporting a deplorable ICE agenda that aims to fill detention centers with more than 100,000 people by next year. Even as it publicly touts its commitment to “strengthening our communities,” Citizens Bank has played a key role in helping The GEO Group and CoreCivic access more than $2.5 billion in financing, some of it approved earlier this year. This comes as the companies face a mountain of allegations, including forced labor and wrongful deaths due to understaffing and medical neglect at their facilities.

We won't quietly stand by as Citizens Bank continues to finance the private prison & ICE detention companies that are harming our communities. The 2019 exodus of banks from the industry in response to activism should be a reminder that our voices matter. Visit https://www.de-icecitizensbank.org for more information and other actions you can take. You can also sign up for this event on Mobilize at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/955738/. 

Please bring signs specific to this action: De-ICE Citizens Bank; Cages Aren't Communities; Citizens Bank - Stop Financing ICE Prisons; Citizens Bank + ICE = Human Rights Abuse; ICE Prisons Don't Strengthen Our Communities; Citizens Bank - Cut Ties With ICE Prisons; etc.

Remember, we want to be in solidarity with workers including bank branch employees. Treat everyone with respect and do not harass or film employees.

We are committed to nonviolent action and expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree. We recommend all participants review a safety and security resource beforehand, such as https://indivisi.org/safety.