News on ICE Warehouses
Mar 30: Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jeanne Shaheen sent a letter to Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth questioning the appropriateness of the use of WEXMAC as a contract vehicle for ICE warehouses. WEXMAC allows DHS to bypass federal acquisition procedures including competitive bidding and fast tracks warehouses. Use of this Navy vehicle may adversely affect military readiness and raises concerns over the potential for contract abuses and wasteful government spending. The Senators have asked for a response by Apr 13th to a long list of questions.
Mar 30: Mayor Sartor of Surprise, AZ reported that after a meeting with DHS on Mar 19th, several points of clarification were made by ICE. The total bed count for Surprise will be capped at 542 single adults, with the facility opening around September.
Mar 31: The House Committee on the Judiciary, led by Representative Jamie Raskin and Senator Elizabeth Warren, together with 52 members of Congress have launched an investigation into whether government contractors, property owners, and real estate brokers are corruptly profiting from the DHS fast-tracked ICE warehouse program. Six companies have received letters asking for additional information.
Mar 31: Reuters released the story on the Trump administration pausing plans to buy ICE warehouses. Contracts signed under Secretary Noem will undergo review, and DHS has suggested working more closely with impacted communities and stakeholders. AP follows with the story the next day.
Apr 1: Project Salt Box releases a background piece on the politics behind the scenes as the warehouse pause story hits. Stephen Miller and the White House are believed to still want the warehouses while careerists within DHS think warehouses are untenable. How this all will play out is anyone’s guess.
Apr 3: The Northwest Valley Indivisible group sent out a press release revealing that the Surprise AZ, ICE warehouse may sit within a chemical hazard zone. Across the street from the DHS warehouse site is another warehouse owned by Rinchem Company LLC. The press release calls on DHS, GuardaWorld, EPA Region 9, the Maricopa county LEPC, and Surprise Fire Department to respond to safety concerns.
Apr 6: 50501 Orlando has received a Cease-and-Desist order regarding the use of the phrase “Lake Nona Concentration Camp.” A development company is citing trademark infringement in the use of Lake Nona in the group’s media campaign.
April 8, 4:30 MST on ZOOM
Dorian Gray from No Concentration Camps Colorado (NOCCC) will address NoCCUS members on his immigration data tool called coldCounter. coldCounter is an open-source data infrastructure project that aggregates, normalizes, and documents immigration detention data. The project produces a portable SQLite data mart that allows researchers, policy analysts, and civil rights organizations to explore immigration detention records in a transparent and reproducible way. Dorian will explain how he developed the tool and how to use it. Additionally, he will address the issue of hold rooms that are being used by ICE around the country and how coldCounter can aid in highlighting violations.