Vol. 73/No. 43      November 9, 2009

The protest was called by the Massachusetts Resist the Raids Network.

Pedro Juan Tavarez, 49, was from the Dominican Republic and lived in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was working as a taxi driver. He had been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since April 2008, when he was stopped for speeding. The Rhode Island state police said Tavarez had an outstanding deportation warrant and turned him over to ICE.

His lawyer told the Providence Journal Tavarez had a pending appeal of his deportation order.

In the week before his death, Tavarez was taken to three different hospitals. According to the Journal his daughter Judith and his former companion Maria Martes both said Tavarez had complained that he was not regularly receiving insulin he needed to control diabetes. By the time the relatives were notified of his hospitalization he was comatose and on life support.

The family is demanding an investigation, including into why they were not notified until he had been taken to the third hospital in four days. Tavarez died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston October 19.

Prison officials say he was taken to the hospital October 16 after prison medical staff thought he could have pneumonia. He was treated for heart and respiratory conditions, reported AP.

Sergio Reyes of the Boston May Day Committee told the protesters, “These prisoners should not be in jail. They are not criminals. They are being held for administrative violations, not crimes.”

As the picketers marched to the side of the jail where immigration detainees are held, it was clear many inside were aware of Tavarez’s death. Signs began to appear in the barred windows of the cells as the detained watched the pickets and waved. One said “Free Us,” another said “Tavarez, my friend, a good man,” and “Tavarez RIP,” while another simply said “Thank You.”  
 
 
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