1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I strongly oppose the expansion of immigration detention facilities in Colorado and across the nation. The planned construction of new detention centers, many of which are being eyed by private prison corporations, will only serve to subject more immigrants to inhumane conditions while enriching those who profit from mass incarceration. The documents reveal ICE is considering reopening facilities that were previously shut down, some of which have disturbing histories of abuse and rights violations. The massive $45 billion appropriated by Congress to expand immigration detention is unconscionable and a betrayal of American values. Rather than investing in a cruel and unnecessary expansion of immigrant jails, these funds should be redirected towards more humane and ethical immigration policies that respect human rights and human dignity. Detention should be an absolute last resort, reserved only for exceptional cases when public safety is genuinely at risk. The default should be release into communities with access to legal counsel and social services. For-profit prison corporations have repeatedly demonstrated their inability to humanely detain immigrants. Their profit motive incentivizes cutting corners on medical care, nutrition, and safety to maximize returns for shareholders. I urge you to take immediate action to stop the construction of new immigration jails in Colorado and nationwide. The ill-treatment of immigrants in detention has gone on for far too long. It is time to dismantle this abusive system, not expand it further. The gratuitous suffering it causes is a stain on America's moral standing.