Arizona Democrats call Mesa ICE facility conditions ‘shameful’ after surprise visit

MESA, Ariz. – Three Arizona Democrats who made a surprise visit on Thursday night to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility at Mesa Gateway Airport say what they witnessed inside was “shameful” and “unacceptable.”

“These people deserve better”

What they’re saying:

Greg Stanton, Yassamin Ansari, and Adelita Grijalva showed up unannounced at the A-ROC facility at around 9:30 p.m. on April 9. They were allowed inside and were there for about an hour. When they came back out, they told the media what they saw was shocking, describing the holding cells as being crammed at double their capacity.

“It was clear many of them have been here for a long period of time, in these conditions,” said Rep. Stanton.

“There were two charter buses back here filled with people. About 80 people. I asked- were those people just in this facility? Or were they coming in? Because where would they go?” said Rep. Grijalva.

The Democrats said it was obvious that detainees were being held much longer than they are supposed to be. They also said that many detainees tried to speak with them about issues inside the facility, but after some brief conversations, they were no longer allowed to speak with them.

“People lying on the floor next to each other, side by side on a concrete floor,” said Rep. Stanton “This is a facility that was meant for short-term stays as people await their flights for deportation. We now know that detainees are staying here for multiple days.”

“It’s unacceptable,” Rep. Ansari said. “ICE is breaking every possible, any possible standard of human dignity that we should have in the United States of America, breaking laws left and right, no accountability, no oversight whatsoever.

“There’s no way that we could treat animals like this,” Grijalva said. “We, people would be outraged, but apparently it’s fine to treat people this way. It’s disgusting and we as a country, these people deserve better, and we need to do better.”

Dig deeper:

The trio said they will not support funding for ICE when Congress returns next week to work on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has led to a partial government shutdown.

The other side:

In a statement we received on April 10 from the Department of Homeland Security, which reads:

“Last night, Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Adelita Grijalva and Greg Stanton arrived unannounced at the Arizona Removal Operations Coordination Center. Their claims this facility is overcrowded and horrific are FALSE. ICE operates under federal standards, oversight and accountability, and claims of chaotic or inhumane conditions are misinformation, not a reflection of actual practice.

When will these congressional members discuss the horrific crimes committed by illegal aliens against American citizens?”

Map of Mesa Gateway Airport:

ImmigrationArizona PoliticsGreg StantonYassamin AnsariAdelita Grijalva