ELOY, AZ – Today, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) visited the Eloy Detention Center, an ICE facility in central Arizona, to conduct congressional oversight as permitted by law for Members of Congress and in her capacity as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
“As Donald Trump carries out his indiscriminate war on immigrants, it is essential that we know what’s happening in detention centers like Eloy,” said Ansari. “This visit is about protecting due process and ensuring that everybody in this country, regardless of immigration status, is afforded their Constitutional rights, dignity, and respect.
“What I encountered today was sickening–so many of the detainees shared that they do not have reliable access to basics like food and water or essential medical care when they are in crisis. Detainees described overcrowded, moldy cells, forced and dehumanizing marches outside in the Arizona heat, constant berating from guards, conditions worse than prison.
“I was denied a meeting with one of my own constituents with whom we have an open and ongoing case in my office, as well as other folks we were originally told we could meet with. Right now, so many of my constituents are scared that they or their family members may be unjustly detained and denied their basic rights. This is unconstitutional and unacceptable. I’ll be taking this directly to ICE and to the Trump Administration, and I will continue to fight for immigrants and mixed-status families in Arizona and across the country.”
While inside, Rep. Ansari heard stories that confirmed reports of dehumanizing treatment towards detainees, dirty and uninhabitable living conditions, and lack of medical and mental health care. She was denied meetings with specific detainees with whom she requested meetings, but was able to speak with women in the kitchen area who confirmed that many of them are forced to melt ice for drinkable water and that facility personnel are not trained to deal with medical incidents like heart attacks.
A resident of Arizona’s Third Congressional District who is currently employed at a small business in Phoenix was recently detained at the Eloy Detention Center. Ansari was denied a meeting with this individual.
Rep Ansari speaks with reporters outside Eloy Detention Center
Follow @RepYassAnsari on all social media platforms and visit Ansari.House.gov to learn more.
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