Jean Pierre Kamwa

Country of Origin: Cameroon

Currently LIving In: Bronx, NY

Jean Pierre Kamwa is a social worker, activist and organizer. He is also a former prisoner - in Cameroon and the United States. Jean Pierre was incarcerated for nine months for being a student activist abroad. He fled to America in November 1999. Because he entered with false papers at John F. Kennedy airport, immigration officers strip searched him, shackled him and then carted him off to Wackenhut Detention Center.

Under the 1996 immigration laws, he was subject to detention without a bond hearing. He spent five months in this privately run immigrant warehouse.
In detention Jean Pierre had neither rights nor community. The only newspapers available were the Daily News, and a Spanish and a Chinese language newspaper, provided they carried no articles on immigration. Detainees had access to the library for only 15 minutes a week, and were only able to check out novels. In addition, a day's work earned a detainee $1.00; a phone call costs $5.00 the first minute.

In April 2000, Jean Pierre was granted asylum and released from the prison. Without any loved ones here, he went to an emergency homeless shelter in Brooklyn. He lived there for 14 months, and worked as a customer service representative at an Old Navy. Even though Jean Pierre is not in prison, his battle against the unjust US immigration system continues. He counsels current immigration inmates, and founded Espoir - a support group for former detainees.