1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to immediately investigate and halt the secret expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that is transforming our communities into surveillance zones while draining resources that could address our healthcare crisis. Federal records reveal that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have orchestrated a monthslong campaign to establish more than 150 new leases and office expansions in nearly every state. The General Services Administration created an "ICE surge" team in September 2025 and was explicitly instructed to bypass the Competition in Contracting Act by invoking "unusual or compelling urgency" statutes. DHS even requested that GSA hide lease listings from public view, claiming national security concerns. Since President Trump took office in 2025, ICE has more than doubled to 22,000 officers and agents. The agency received nearly $80 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This massive expansion places ICE offices near elementary schools, medical facilities, and places of worship across Texas, California, New York, Pennsylvania, and dozens of other states. In Hartford, Connecticut, a planned office sits two blocks from Betances Elementary School. In Irvine, California, an office at 2020 Main Street is next to a childcare agency. This is not the infrastructure our communities need. While ICE receives $80 billion to expand its enforcement apparatus, Americans struggle with healthcare costs, medical debt, and inadequate access to care. These taxpayer dollars could fund community health centers, expand Medicaid coverage, reduce prescription drug costs, and address the healthcare workforce shortage. I urge you to demand full transparency on ICE's expansion plans, hold oversight hearings on the bypassing of federal procurement laws, and work to redirect these funds toward healthcare investments that actually serve your constituents. Congress has the power to stop this expansion through appropriations and oversight. Our communities deserve healthcare infrastructure, not a sprawling enforcement network operating in the shadows.