Stop the Expansion of ICE Detention Centers and Protect Immigrant Rights

Recent reports reveal that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to double its detention capacity by the end of the year, bringing the total to more than 107,000 beds. This expansion is being fast-tracked with $45 billion in federal funding, leading to the construction of new facilities in states that have never hosted such centers before. Private prison corporations like Geo Group and CoreCivic stand to profit enormously from this growth, while thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers face incarceration in inhumane conditions.

Detention centers, including 'soft-sided' tent facilities, are notorious for poor living conditions, lack of access to legal counsel, and the separation of families. The expansion of these centers will only increase the suffering of vulnerable people seeking safety and opportunity. Instead of investing in mass detention and deportation, we urge our leaders to prioritize humane, community-based alternatives that respect the dignity and rights of all individuals.

We call on Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, and the President to immediately halt the expansion of ICE detention facilities, end contracts with private prison companies, and redirect funding toward programs that support immigrant communities.