KalaSalon: BALDWIN & BEYOND - Immigrant Rights in Civil Detention
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BALDWIN & BEYOND: Immigrant Rights in Civil Detention
As national detention policies materialize in our state, we need to talk about civil immigration enforcement and the realities of the private, for-profit detention industry across the U.S.
Join KalaSalon and five special guests for Baldwin & Beyond: Immigrant Rights in Civil Detention, 6:30pm on Wednesday, July 8 at Shakespeare’s Pub (lower level).
SPEAKERS:
>>Rachelle Linsenmayer, Staff Attorney at the Kalamazoo office of Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
>>Megan Carnes, a novelist who has been investigating and writing about the town, detainees, and activists surrounding the prison. (See below for more.)
>>Kay Babcock, an organizer who has been inside Baldwin and has worked closely on the case of a young man detained there.
>>Sarah James and Kim James, activists rooted in intersectional feminism and anti-racism who've supported protests in Baldwin and at ICE offices in Grand Rapids. They plan to emphasize best practices for white women as accomplices in bipoc led spaces and how to navigate the activist landscape.
Learn about the concerning situation at GEO Group’s North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan — the largest immigration detention facility in the Midwest — and how communities in Southwest Michigan are working to support families, coordinate with legal advocates, and participate in oversight efforts.
Rachelle's presentation will include key context on the immigration system, covering immigration statuses, pathways, and government agencies involved in enforcement. She will also provide a brief overview of MIRC, including our services for detained individuals, and also helpful information for attendees looking to stay informed on ways to support immigrant communities.
Author Megan Carnes published her first novel, The Celdan Heresies, in 2024. It gathered praise from Pulitzer winners, Annie Dillard, Paul Harding, and Marilynne Robinson, while Kirkus called it a “deeply told fable of faith and revolt.” Since 2025 Carnes has been investigating the town, detainees, and activists surrounding North Lake. Through visits and interviews, she’s begun to write The Keep in the Forest, which seeks to discover what Americans do when they confront a concentration camp. What she finds is a nuance that springs from poverty, fear, and occasionally heroic love.
Let’s connect in fearless conversation: What are our moral obligations to respond to detention centers? How do we help individuals in dire need? How do we change the system(s) allowing this?
KalaSalon is free and all are welcome. Shakespeare's has food and bar service available in the lower level. Parking is next door.
The Situation
Roughly 90% of individuals held at North Lake have not been charged with a crime — and immigration detention is legally classified as non-punitive and civil. However, the system relies heavily on a carceral framework. The facility is owned and operated by the GEO Group, a private corporation contracted by the federal government. Since the facility expanded its operations in 2025, the number of individuals held under ICE custody in Michigan has experienced a six-fold increase.
Documented Challenges
Medical Neglect: According to a formal complaint submitted by the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), the facility has faced critical medical staffing shortages. Documented examples include delayed responses to diabetic emergencies, a failure to provide prescribed high-blood-pressure medications resulting in hospitalizations, and unaddressed critical health symptoms.
Barriers to Due Process and Legal Access: Located in rural Lake County, the facility's remote setting creates severe geographic hurdles. Advocates have documented significant limits on attorney-client communications, resulting in missed immigration court proceedings and restricted access to legal counsel.
Detainee Grievances and Hunger Strikes: To protest prolonged detentions, poor food quality, and substandard conditions, hundreds of detainees have launched coordinated hunger strikes. Local dispatch logs reflect dozens of 911 emergency calls originating from the facility, underscoring ongoing operational distress.
Let’s talk. July 8. Shakespeare’s Pub. Please share.
[Photo by Erick Dia Veliz/Michigan Advance]
As national detention policies materialize in our state, we need to talk about civil immigration enforcement and the realities of the private, for-profit detention industry across the U.S.
Join KalaSalon and five special guests for Baldwin & Beyond: Immigrant Rights in Civil Detention, 6:30pm on Wednesday, July 8 at Shakespeare’s Pub (lower level).
SPEAKERS:
>>Rachelle Linsenmayer, Staff Attorney at the Kalamazoo office of Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
>>Megan Carnes, a novelist who has been investigating and writing about the town, detainees, and activists surrounding the prison. (See below for more.)
>>Kay Babcock, an organizer who has been inside Baldwin and has worked closely on the case of a young man detained there.
>>Sarah James and Kim James, activists rooted in intersectional feminism and anti-racism who've supported protests in Baldwin and at ICE offices in Grand Rapids. They plan to emphasize best practices for white women as accomplices in bipoc led spaces and how to navigate the activist landscape.
Learn about the concerning situation at GEO Group’s North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan — the largest immigration detention facility in the Midwest — and how communities in Southwest Michigan are working to support families, coordinate with legal advocates, and participate in oversight efforts.
Rachelle's presentation will include key context on the immigration system, covering immigration statuses, pathways, and government agencies involved in enforcement. She will also provide a brief overview of MIRC, including our services for detained individuals, and also helpful information for attendees looking to stay informed on ways to support immigrant communities.
Author Megan Carnes published her first novel, The Celdan Heresies, in 2024. It gathered praise from Pulitzer winners, Annie Dillard, Paul Harding, and Marilynne Robinson, while Kirkus called it a “deeply told fable of faith and revolt.” Since 2025 Carnes has been investigating the town, detainees, and activists surrounding North Lake. Through visits and interviews, she’s begun to write The Keep in the Forest, which seeks to discover what Americans do when they confront a concentration camp. What she finds is a nuance that springs from poverty, fear, and occasionally heroic love.
Let’s connect in fearless conversation: What are our moral obligations to respond to detention centers? How do we help individuals in dire need? How do we change the system(s) allowing this?
KalaSalon is free and all are welcome. Shakespeare's has food and bar service available in the lower level. Parking is next door.
The Situation
Roughly 90% of individuals held at North Lake have not been charged with a crime — and immigration detention is legally classified as non-punitive and civil. However, the system relies heavily on a carceral framework. The facility is owned and operated by the GEO Group, a private corporation contracted by the federal government. Since the facility expanded its operations in 2025, the number of individuals held under ICE custody in Michigan has experienced a six-fold increase.
Documented Challenges
Medical Neglect: According to a formal complaint submitted by the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), the facility has faced critical medical staffing shortages. Documented examples include delayed responses to diabetic emergencies, a failure to provide prescribed high-blood-pressure medications resulting in hospitalizations, and unaddressed critical health symptoms.
Barriers to Due Process and Legal Access: Located in rural Lake County, the facility's remote setting creates severe geographic hurdles. Advocates have documented significant limits on attorney-client communications, resulting in missed immigration court proceedings and restricted access to legal counsel.
Detainee Grievances and Hunger Strikes: To protest prolonged detentions, poor food quality, and substandard conditions, hundreds of detainees have launched coordinated hunger strikes. Local dispatch logs reflect dozens of 911 emergency calls originating from the facility, underscoring ongoing operational distress.
Let’s talk. July 8. Shakespeare’s Pub. Please share.
[Photo by Erick Dia Veliz/Michigan Advance]
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Where is it happening?
Shakespeare's Pub, 261 E Kalamazoo Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3841, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherKalaSalon
