1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to pause negotiations on the FY2026 DHS appropriations bill pending investigations of the shocking fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, investigations of other shootings by ICE, and inhumane and deadly conditions in ICE detention facilities. At minimum, I oppose funding for additional detention beds in the FY2026 DHS appropriations bill and urge you to prevent ICE from receiving a single additional dollar to expand a system that is already cruel, dangerous, and profoundly inhumane. The tragic death of Ms. Good requires a full investigation, as does ICE’s conduct of detention; these should precede funding decisions. Congress has already provided ICE with tens of billions of dollars through the 2025 reconciliation legislation, providing for an unprecedented multi-year expansion of immigration detention. That funding has not led to safer conditions or stronger accountability. Instead, detention is deadlier, conditions more horrific, and violations of due process more widespread. People are dying in ICE custody at alarming rates, with 32 deaths in 2025, matching a previous high of more than 20 years ago. Families are being torn apart, and basic human dignity is routinely denied. Pouring more money into this system will only magnify the harm. As government funding negotiations move forward, Congress has a clear moral responsibility to stop this escalation. Any increase in detention bed funding—on top of the massive sums ICE already controls—would further entrench a system built on fear and incarceration, not justice. Even more disturbing are plans to construct new, massive detention facilities designed to hold tens of thousands of people at once. These warehouse-style immigration jails will be humanitarian catastrophes. ICE’s existing facilities already subject people to medical neglect, abuse, prolonged confinement, and life-threatening conditions. Expanding this infrastructure guarantees more suffering, more deaths, and deeper trauma for families and communities. Immigrant detention is not only ineffective and wasteful—it is a moral failure. Our neighbors, loved ones, and community members should not be treated as disposable or locked away to score political points, despite no evidence of criminal activity and no regard for basic rights. Congress must choose humanity over cruelty and refuse to fund policies that inflict harm. I urge you to pause negotiations for DHS appropriations pending investigations of ICE conduct, reject any increase in funding for immigration detention, oppose expanded bed quotas in the FY2026 DHS bill, and take a clear stand against further investment in immigration jails. This is a moment for leadership, courage, and moral clarity.