1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

ICE's plans to vastly expand its detention capacity across the country, including the potential addition of six new facilities in Colorado, is highly concerning. Detaining immigrants on such a massive scale in private prisons will lead to inhumane conditions and human rights violations. This costly expansion funnels billions into an abusive system that tears families apart instead of prioritizing humane and effective immigration solutions. While the full details are still unknown, the sites reportedly under consideration include the Huerfano County Correctional Center, Cheyenne Mountain Center, Hudson Correctional Facility, Baptiste Migrant Detention Facilities in La Junta and Colorado Springs, and a "soft-sided" facility in Walsenburg. Opening these facilities would enable ICE to rapidly increase its detention capacity from around 41,000 beds to potentially over 116,000. This heavy-handed approach runs counter to American values of human dignity and due process. I urge you to oppose ICE's expansion of these mass detention centers in Colorado and redirect funding towards more ethical and community-based alternatives to detention that respect immigrants' rights. Immigration policies should focus on keeping families together and upholding human rights, not expanding a cruel and costly detention system.