doka Nweke, a Nigerian gay man, was threatened under his country’s “Death to Gays” Laws. He surrendered himself at US border as a refugee and is now experiencing a potentially lethal health crisis while in ICE facility.
May 23, 2018 – The Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) formally backed a resolution this week that urges the release of Udoka Nweke, an LGBT refugee held in a privately-run ICE facility in Adelanto.
LGBT people face discrimination, bigotry, hate and violence in at least 74 countries around the world, including Nigeria. Nweke fled Nigeria due to its oppressive “Death to Gays” laws restricting the rights and safety of LGBT people.
Nweke surrendered himself as a refugee at the US border in 2016, and has since been held in detention at a privately-run ICE facility where his mental health has deteriorated, leading to attempted suicide and diagnosis of severe mental illness.
DPOC joins a coalition of advocates including the LGBT Center of OC, the Black LGBTQ+ Migrant Project, and the Transgender Law Center. Advocates are calling for Nweke’s release to provide lifesaving mental health care.
About The Democratic Party of Orange County
The Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) is the official organization for Democrats in California’s third-largest county. DPOC represents more than half a million registered Democrats, and is engaging voters to close the gap on the narrowest voter margin in Orange County’s modern history. To volunteer or donate to elect strong Democrats that will stop President Trump’s agenda, visit DPOC at www.ocdemocrats.org or call (714) 634-DEMS.
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Release date: May 23, 2018
Contact: Rachel Potucek, Communications Director, Democratic Party of Orange County, (562) 276-8514, rachel@ocdemocrats.org