Congresswoman Luz Rivas Leads Colleagues in Stopping ICE from Expanding Presence in Communities

OS ANGELES — Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) led 12 of her colleagues in a letter urging the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government to eliminate funding for the General Service Administration’s (GSA) ability to lease or sell federal government property to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

The Members’ letter comes in response to a Wired article that listed the James C. Corman Federal Building in Van Nuys as one of several possible locations for ICE expansion across the country.

“ICE and CBP are attempting to expand their chokehold with an increased physical presence across the country, including purchasing and operating more immigration detention facilities,” wrote the Members. “This expansion through GSA will only cause more human suffering for our constituents and at a high cost to taxpayers. Currently, it is clear that ICE does not appropriately handle the detention facility system, from the poor conditions to unique circumstances for detainees, therefore it is not equipped to expand their operations even further.” 

GSA is mandated by federal law to conduct procurement for the federal government, including ICE and CBP. In the Republicans’ One Big Ugly Bill, Republicans gave nearly $30 billion to ICE to conduct these procurements, raids, and more. 

The Members continued: “The Trump Administration’s desperate attempts to expand immigrant detention facilities will only expose more immigrants to more inhumane and poor conditions, and inflict harm on our immigrant communities. The elimination of GSA’s ability to lease ICE or CBP office space or the ability to open immigrant detention centers on GSA property will protect our immigrant communities and rein in a rouge ICE.” 

Congresswoman Rivas’ letter was signed by 12 other Members of Congress. A full copy of the letter can be found here.      
 

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