Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich called on federal immigration officials to not go ahead with a plan to turn a hotel into a processing center for illegal immigrants and unaccompanied minors.
In a letter (pdf-below) to the White House, Brnovich told the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that he had “grave concerns” about ICE’s contract with a Scottsdale, Arizona, hotel that is located near a school and a residential area.
“I was extremely disappointed to learn about this through a newspaper report rather than any prior contact from DHS or ICE, even though there are important public safety issues involved in locating any detention center in a community setting,” the Republican attorney general wrote.
The administration, he tweeted, is converting an unnamed hotel into a “detention facility” for about 1,200 illegal immigrants, adding that locals have “concerns about this reckless plan.”
The Epoch Times has contacted ICE for comment. A spokesperson for the agency told Fox News that illegal immigrant families “are housed in a manner consistent with legal requirements for the safety and well-being of children and their parents or guardians.”
“Custody is intended to be short term, generally less than 72 hours, to allow for immigration enforcement processing and establishing appropriate terms and conditions of release while their immigration proceedings continue,” the spokesperson continued. “All families will be tested for COVID-19 and receive a health assessment.”
ICE officials told KPHO-TV that the hotel usage plan is part of an $87 million contract that the agency has with the nonprofit Endeavors.
But Brnovich argued there is no guarantee that the detainees will not be released into Scottsdale or other nearby communities after staying in the converted hotel.
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