Dear Friend,
Despite the tragedies we witnessed in Minnesota, and despite the human rights abuses we are seeing at ICE detention facility Delaney Hall right now, Republicans in Congress are trying to pass legislation this week that would pour an additional $70 billion in taxpayer dollars into ICE and CBP with no oversight or constraints for three years! If passed, Congress will have given away its authority to put any constraints on ICE for the entire Trump administration! Take Action Now!
This legislation comes at a moment when detained immigrants, our neighbors, coworkers, parents, and grandparents across the country, are launching hunger and labor strikes to protest inhumane conditions inside detention facilities, [1] including at Delaney Hall here in New Jersey.
People detained at Delaney Hall have reported being served spoiled food, denied access to necessary medical care, confined in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, [2] subjected to scalding-hot showers that caused burns, [3] and compelled to work for as little as $1 a day, or at times, with no compensation at all. [4]
I have also watched with alarm as my neighbors, faith leaders, advocates, and community members peacefully protesting outside the facility have been met with aggressive enforcement tactics.[5] ICE agents pepper-sprayed demonstrators and observers, including U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) [6], and detained a U.S. military veteran who was serving as a volunteer street medic. [7] U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has called for the facility to be shut down. [8]
$70 billion for ICE while families can’t afford groceries? Not on our watch!
What makes this proposal even more troubling is that ICE and CBP already have more than $100 billion in unspent funds, with little transparency or accountability in how those resources are being used. Existing funding levels alone could sustain both agencies through the fourth quarter of 2027. [9] They do not need another cent.
Instead of investing in solutions that help families thrive, this legislation doubles down on detention, deportation, and family separation. It would expand harmful immigration enforcement policies while diverting resources away from programs that help people afford everyday life. It would also pull workers out of critical industries—including agriculture, construction, health care, child care, home care, and food service—further worsening affordability challenges for families and communities across the country.
Thank you for all that you do for our communities!
– Nadia
References:
[1] Migrants detained at ICE facilities launch hunger strikes to protest conditions, Stateline
[4] Delaney Hall ICE Detainees Take Aim at GEO Group’s Bottom Line. The American Prospect
[5] Protesters shoved, pepper sprayed during clash with ICE agents outside Delaney Hall, ABC7NY
[6] US Senator says he was pepper-sprayed by federal agents during protest at ICE facility, The Guardian
[7] 2 arrested during another night of protests, clashes with ICE at Delaney Hall in N.J., NJ
[8] Leader Jeffries statement following Delaney Hall oversight visit
[9] DHS Was Already Given $191 Billion, FWD
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