1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to address the concerning conditions at the ICE facility in Burlington, Massachusetts, and to protect the civil rights of immigrant detainees held there. On Tuesday, four activists including Fred Small, a minister at Arlington Street Church in Boston, and Sabine Von Mering, Brandeis University, were arrested while attempting to deliver care packages containing juice, food, warm hats, bedrolls, and menstrual products to detainees. These items were intended to address reported inadequate conditions, including detainees sleeping on concrete floors and women being denied menstrual products. The fact that community members felt compelled to provide basic necessities speaks to the severity of the situation. Both Senator Ed Markey and Representative Seth Moulton have conducted oversight visits to the Burlington facility and expressed serious concerns. Senator Markey described it as "a bleak, frigid facility where no one deserves to be held" and criticized ICE's lack of transparency. Representative Moulton raised concerns about detainees being moved through quickly, potentially limiting their access to legal representation. I urge you to demand full transparency from ICE regarding conditions at the Burlington facility, ensure detainees have adequate access to legal representation, and support legislation that establishes minimum standards for detention conditions including access to basic necessities. Every person deserves humane treatment regardless of immigration status.