By Associated Press - Wednesday, December 11, 2019

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (AP) - Protesters gathered outside a Rhode Island detention facility calling for the prison to stop housing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.

About 200 protesters from Never Again Action assembled outside the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls on Tuesday evening, the Providence Journal reported.

“This building is actively hurting people who have committed no moral harm,” Never Again coordinator Aurit Lazerus said. “We will make visible the invisible world that is possible.”

There were no arrests.

The protest was held in conjunction with one at the headquarters of UMB Bank - the trustee for prison bondholders - in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City police told The Journal that 30 protesters gathered outside of the building around 11 a.m. Tuesday and seven people were arrested on trespassing charges.

UMB Bank CEO said in a statement that while they are trustees for the facility they play no role in the operation of the site.

“Unfortunately, there has been significant misrepresentation of our role in this situation due to inaccurate, activist activity,” bank CEO and President Jim Rine said. “In this role, we do not represent the facility or their decisions - furthermore, we took on this business before the facility held any ICE detainees. We solely represent the bondholders who provided investment for the facility to be built.”

Never Again said the press release does not absolve the bank.

“Either you are on the side of the people detaining immigrants or you are on the side of the immigrants,” said Elyse Max of Never Again.

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