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Lawmakers spar over use of large warehouses for family detention during HR 9773 markup
Summary
A proposed amendment to bar ICE from converting large warehouses into family detention centers drew extended debate. Democrats cited alleged abuses at large-scale sites and demanded a ban; Republicans argued such facilities are necessary for operational needs and oversight.
A member from Pennsylvania introduced an amendment to prohibit ICE from using large commercial warehouses it has purchased to detain families. The sponsor cited internal agency documents about an ICE ‘‘Detention Reengineering Initiative’’ and detailed purchases of warehouses intended to hold thousands of beds near multiple states, calling the plan “disgusting” and warning that large-scale warehouse detention treats people like Amazon packages.
Supporters described visits to facilities they said revealed inadequate medical care, unsanitary conditions and children detained for extended periods; one member cited hunger strikes and maggot-contaminated food reported at Delaney Hall and other centers. Opponents including members who had visited facilities defended the use of contracted facilities and described improvements and services they observed—law libraries, medical staff and recreation—and said local oversight should be part of the response rather than a categorical ban.
The committee debated the amendment at length and ultimately rejected it in recorded votes. The exchanges highlighted a central fault line of the markup: whether to restrict the executive branch’s options for housing families in detention centers or to preserve operational flexibility with firm oversight requirements.
