Oppose ICE Detention Centers and Warehouse Purchase in Concord

I am writing as a concerned voter in your district to urge you to oppose any efforts to construct ICE detention centers in North Carolina, especially in light of recent reports that ICE plans to purchase a warehouse in Concord, North Carolina. This warehouse appears intended to serve as part of the federal government’s detention and enforcement infrastructure, which raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the moral direction of our state’s policies. Across the country, ICE detention facilities and related operations have been repeatedly cited for human rights abuses, lack of due process, and wasteful spending. Establishing a foothold for this system in Concord moves North Carolina in the wrong direction. It normalizes a model that profits from detention and undermines our shared values of fairness and human flourishing. Instead, I encourage our legislature to consider proven alternatives. States like New Mexico and Illinois have enacted landmark measures to curb their participation in federal immigration detention networks. Illinois’ Way Forward Act ended contracts between local governments and ICE while affirming the state’s commitment to protecting immigrant communities. Similarly, New Mexico’s Private Detention Facility Moratorium Act halted new contracts and construction, prioritizing community-based, humane alternatives to detention. North Carolina can follow these examples by passing legislation that prevents our state and local governments from facilitating or profiting from immigration detention contracts. Investing in supportive, non-custodial programs. Legal aid, community-based case management, and family reunification all offer a more ethical and fiscally responsible approach. I urge you to take a stand against ICE’s expansion in Concord, and across North Carolina. Please consider introducing or supporting legislation modeled after the initiatives in New Mexico and Illinois to ensure our state remains on the side of justice and compassion. Thank you for your time, attention, and service to our communities.