Welcome to Stewart, not what I expected.

I went to Lumpkin, GA today to visit detainees at the Stewart Detention Center. I had certain expectations going in, almost all of which were dispelled once I arrived.

I expected mostly Hispanic detainees. I found of the 8 we went to visit only 2 were Hispanic. The others were from Nepal, India, Senegal and Nigeria.

I expected recent arrivals with few local connections. I found people with decades in the US and deep connections. 

I expected a "Detention Center". I found a prison. 

I got to see a father and son reunited after the son spent 72 days in detention. 

I heard stories from the dad, Adam (the detainee I visited about, not his real name), a wife of 12 years, a grandmother, a daughter and two volunteer translators. 

As my traveling companion today told me, this is about the stories, not the statistics. 

I'll share the stories over the next few days. I doubt they'll be what you expect.