Rep. Grijalva Reacts to Planned Expansion of Florence Detention Facility

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the below statement following new reports (here and here) that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a $1.2 billion contract for the expansion of an existing detention facility in Florence, Arizona. A project scope for the planned expansion can be accessed here.

Previously, DHS announced plans for new detention facilities in Marana and Surprise, Arizona, however both projects have faced strong opposition from local residents and legal hurdles, leaving their future unclear.

“After local residents overwhelmingly opposed ICE’s plans for massive new detention centers in Marana and Surprise, the Trump Administration is quietly moving to expand existing facility capacity in Florence. At the same time, people already in Arizona detention centers can’t get clean drinking water, edible food, or adequate medical care. DHS should be fixing these appalling conditions — not preparing to funnel another $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars into expanding Trump’s cruel mass detention and deportation machine.”

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