What to say, how to frame it, and ready-to-use words for a post, a letter, or a talk. Copy, change a few words, and make it yours.
How to frame it
Three messages that work
Basics, not politics
Our demands are medical care, healthy meals, visits, clergy and press access, and an end to solitary confinement. Nearly anyone can agree on those, whatever they think about immigration.
Our neighbors, our city
MDC Brooklyn is in Sunset Park. About 1,500 people are held there, and every one of them is someone's relative, coworker, or neighbor. Start with a person, not a policy.
Let people see
Press, clergy, and visitors are how a community knows what is happening inside. Asking for access is asking for daylight, not for a favor.
Words matter
Say it like a neighbor
Use
people held at MDC Brooklyn
neighbors
detention center, federal jail
held, confined
medical care, meals, visits
what people there report
Avoid
slurs or "illegals"
"inmates" for people held for ICE
guesses about someone's case or status
numbers you cannot source
shock photos or private details
"always" and "never" about the facility
Facts you can use
Short, sourced, and safe to repeat
About 1,500 people are confined at MDC Brooklyn, roughly 200 of them in two units designated for ICE; about 1,300 are on federal charges.
Source: coalition press release, October 13, 2026
MDC Brooklyn is the only long-term ICE detention center in New York City.
Source: coalition press release, October 13, 2026
Bureau of Prisons court filings reported in June 2026 show two doctors and five nurses on staff.
Source: Hoodline, June 2026
People held there report 23-hour lockdowns, no outdoor space, and very limited medical care. Say "people report", not "it is".
Source: coalition press release
Numbers change. Check the sources before you publish.
Ready to use
A social post
Thank you to everyone who stood outside MDC Brooklyn. The work continues every Tuesday, 6 to 7 PM.
About 1,500 people are held there. We are asking for six basics: medical care, healthy meals, clergy access, full visitation, press access, and an end to solitary confinement.
Pick one way to help: dignitytoolkit.org/all-eyes-on-mdc
#AllEyesOnMDC #MDCBrooklyn
Ready to use
A letter to your local paper
Most papers want 150 to 250 words, your name, and a phone number to verify. Add one sentence about why you care.
To the editor:
Every Tuesday evening, neighbors and faith leaders stand outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park. About 1,500 people are held there, roughly 200 of them in units designated for ICE.
Bureau of Prisons court filings reported in June show two doctors and five nurses on staff. People held there report long lockdowns, little time outdoors, and very limited medical care.
We are asking for six basic things: adequate medical care, healthy meals, admittance for outside clergy, full visitation, press access, and an end to solitary confinement. These are not radical requests. Whatever a person is accused of, they still need a doctor, a meal, and a way to see their family.
Join us any Tuesday, 6 to 7 PM, at 80 29th Street.
[Name, neighborhood, phone for verification]
Ready to use
A short talk
For a congregation, a team meeting, or a class.
Two minutes, four parts.
1. A person. "Think of a neighbor whose brother is inside MDC Brooklyn, in our borough. Whatever he is accused of, his family still wants to know he is getting medical care." (Use a real story only if you have permission.)
2. The facts. "About 1,500 people are held there. Court filings show two doctors and five nurses. People held there report 23-hour lockdowns."
3. The ask. "Six basics: medical care, healthy meals, clergy access, visits, press access, and an end to solitary."
4. One action. "Come to the vigil Tuesday, 6 to 7 PM, or put your name down tonight."
Tip: say the facts once, slowly. Spend the rest of the time on the person and the ask.
When someone pushes back
Three honest answers
"Why should I care about people who broke the law?"
Whatever someone is accused of, people held there still need medical care, meals, and a way to see their families. Those are basic standards, not favors.
"Isn't this a federal matter?"
It is a federal facility, in our borough. Neighbors, clergy, and the press are the ones who can look and ask questions. That is why access is one of our demands.
"What can one person actually do?"
Come once, call once, or tell one person. Attention fades fast, and the people who keep showing up are what keep it from fading.
Stay safe
Before you post
Do not post names, photos, or case details of a detained person or their family unless they have clearly said yes.
Do not guess at anyone's immigration status or charges.
Check a number before you share it. If you are unsure, link to the source or leave it out.
Next step
Tell us what you shared
Share the vigil page, then tell us you are helping so we can send you updates.