In Texas, immigrant rights activists shut down the entrance to the Tornillo tent camp on New Year’s Eve, where several thousand immigrant youth are being detained. The activists have been organizing daily actions for the past two weeks under the banner of “Christmas in Tornillo.”

Denise Benavides: “So, my name is Denise Benavides. I am a Dallas County community organizer. And we are here at the Tornillo port of entry in front of a concentration camp for Central American minors who are teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17. … This is the only way we’re going to shut this place down, is with resistance, is with action. It’s with our voices, is with the stories that we hear. We’re tired of this. This should not be happening in America. We are the most incarcerated country in the world. And it’s sad that we celebrate freedom.”

The Tornillo facility has come under fire from immigrant and human rights activists, Democratic lawmakers and health professionals. Last month, the shelter operator, Baptist Child and Family Services, said they expected to close the facility by mid-January.