Halt Construction of Fort Bliss ICE Detention Center

I am deeply concerned about the recent construction of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. This $1.2 billion facility, with its capacity to hold up to 5,000 detainees, is set to become the largest federal detention center in U.S. history. The gravity of this situation cannot be overstated, especially given the site's dark history of imprisoning people of Japanese descent during World War II. The echoes of past injustices are unmistakable. Japanese American groups have rightly criticized this project, drawing parallels between the current use of national security rhetoric and the logic that led to the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. We must not repeat the mistakes of our past. While the administration claims that ICE is targeting serious criminals, the facts tell a different story. As of August 10, approximately 70% of individuals held in ICE detention had no criminal conviction. This statistic exposes the falsehood in the narrative being pushed to justify mass incarceration. The hasty opening of detention centers across the country, including this facility at Fort Bliss, demonstrates a failure to learn from our history. It's a step backward in our treatment of immigrants and a betrayal of the values we claim to uphold as a nation. I urge you to take immediate action to halt the operation of this detention center and prevent the construction of similar facilities. We need immigration policies that respect human rights, uphold due process, and reflect our nation's values of justice and compassion. The $1.2 billion spent on this facility could be better invested in community-based alternatives and addressing the root causes of migration. Time is of the essence. Every day this facility operates is another day we fail to learn from our history. I implore you to act now to stop this mass incarceration, challenge the misleading rhetoric from homeland security, and work towards a more just and humane immigration system.