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Residents deliver petition, urge Winchester to end juvenile-detention contract with ICE; speakers cite contract language
Summary
Public commenters delivered over 1,200 petition signatures and urged Winchester officials to terminate a 2021 contract with ICE for juvenile detention, saying contract language lists Winchester as contractor and gives termination authority to the city with 90 days' notice.
During the public-comment portion of the Jan. 13 Winchester City Council meeting, multiple residents pressed council members to end the city's contractual relationship that allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain juveniles at a regional facility. Cleo Strobakis presented a petition with more than 1,200 signatures and said she would submit highlighted sections of the 45-page contract for the public record.
Rosemarie Dojak and other commenters read aloud and summarized specific contract provisions, citing Block 8 and Block 17(a) where the contractor is listed as "Winchester City, 15 North Cameron Street," and Article 8 (termination authority) that they said allows either party to terminate with 90 days written notice. Dojak argued these provisions show Winchester is the legal contracting party and therefore has the authority to end the agreement. Dojak said she would submit the contract excerpts and the petition for the public record.
Another commenter summarized Article 10 (dispute resolution), asserting the ICE contracting officer has final decision-making authority in disputes but that Winchester still negotiates directly with ICE; commenters concluded the city retains legal responsibility and therefore could exercise termination authority. Speakers also cited an "Article 17" "gag clause," and said the city had received federal funds as a fiscal agent for the regional commission, raising questions about transparency.
Speakers repeatedly called for public disclosure of board membership for the regional commission that oversees the juvenile detention facility and asked whether Winchester officials had read the contract in full. Several speakers urged immediate use of the city's contractual termination authority if it exists and asked for a public resolution to end the contract.
Council did not take final action on the contract during the meeting; the public-comment remarks closed and council proceeded to its regular agenda. City staff and council members acknowledged receiving the concerns and indicated staff would follow up on issues raised during the public-comment period.
Because speakers referenced exact contract language and a contract number in public comments (as quoted by residents in the meeting), the article lists the contract references as reported by commenters but does not independently verify the contract text.
