Congresswoman Ramirez, 32 Members Request Congress Restrict ICE Funding for Human Warehouses

Washington, DC-Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) led 32 Members of Congress in requesting that the House Appropriations Committee restrict the Department of Homeland Security from using federal funding for the purchase of warehouses for immigration detention in the FY27 Appropriations bill. The members are calling on Congress to instead redirect funds - including unspent funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill- from detention to services that communities need.

As reported, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is moving forward with plansto cage people in massive warehouse camps across the country. DHS estimates that the project- referred to as Detention Reengineering Initiative- will cost taxpayers $38.3 billion - nearly 10 times ICE's entire FY2024 detention budget. If enacted, the project would rapidly increase detention capacity to 92,600 new "beds," drastically expanding the detention system within months.

"Given the already widespread due process and human rights violations occurring at the hands of ICE, it is certain that this historic expansion will result in an increase in unlawful arrests to fill the beds, rushed and wrongful deportations in violation of people's due process rights, widespread family separations, disease outbreaks in facilities, and preventable deaths due to medical negligence," wrote the Members of Congress. "Through the appropriations process, Congress has the authority and the imperative to stop ICE from using taxpayer funds to realize its warehouse project, and redirect the hundreds of billions of unspent OBBBA funds away from ICE detention."

"Immigration detention has already cost far too much in pain and suffering of immigrant communities. It is time for Congress to take control over ICE spending, prevent this warehouse expansion from moving forward, and work towards redirecting unspent OBBBA funds for ICE detention towards community needs, not cages," finished the members.

The letter follows Congresswoman Ramirez's introduction of H.R. 7190, the Melt ICE Act,to end the detention and monitoring of immigrants, disrupt DHS's immigration enforcement, and return funds to impacted communities for wraparound services. The legislation is currently cosponsored by 13 members of Congress.

The request was signed by Representatives Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Troy A. Carter (LA-2), Greg Casar (TX-35), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), William R. Keating (MA-09), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-12), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

To read the full letter, CLICK HERE.