1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Oppose Massive ICE Detention Warehouses in San Antonio, Colorado, and Philadelphia I am writing to urge you to oppose the Department of Homeland Security's plan to convert massive warehouse facilities into immigration detention centers in San Antonio, Philadelphia, and Hudson, Colorado. These facilities represent a dangerous expansion of detention infrastructure that threatens public safety, strains local resources, and violates basic standards of humane treatment. The scale of these proposed facilities is unprecedented and alarming. ICE has already purchased a 640,000-square-foot warehouse in San Antonio valued at more than $37 million, an $87.4 million warehouse in Philadelphia, and is planning a facility in Hudson, Colorado. According to DHS documents, these centers could house as many as 8,000 detainees at once across more than 20 locations. For context, the largest federal prison in the United States houses roughly 4,000 inmates. Government contractors working on these projects have raised serious safety concerns. Sources told NBC News that hiring sufficient staff for facilities housing more than 2,500 people would be extremely challenging, particularly in rural areas. One contractor stated that any detention facility with more than 1,500 detainees would be risky. At one proposed site, building a detention center of the requested size could drain the town's water supply. The existing ICE facility at Fort Bliss, Texas demonstrates the deadly consequences of this approach. At least three immigrants died there over 44 days, with the medical examiner ruling one death a homicide. Members of Congress had to go to court just to gain unannounced access to the facility after safety concerns were raised. These warehouse conversions are being pursued without meaningful community input. City officials in Surprise, Arizona stated they were not contacted by DHS before ICE paid $70 million for a 418,000-square-foot warehouse there. Senator Roger Wicker opposed a proposed facility in Mississippi, noting the site was meant for economic development and job creation. I urge you to publicly oppose these detention centers and work to block federal funding for their construction and operation. Our communities deserve transparency, safety, and humane immigration policies.