Congressional members request answers on possible Marana detention center

This story was originally published by AZPM.

Residents of Marana have spent months voicing concerns over a prospective Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in the town.

Now, federal lawmakers are also raising questions.

Last Thursday, U.S. representatives Adelita Grijalva, Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari sent a letter to top immigration officials, requesting details on the facility — including questions about how many people it would hold.

Grijalva, Stanton and Ansari also requested environmental assessments, project timelines and any existing intergovernmental contracts related to the facility.

“At present, Arizona residents are being asked to accept the potential expansion of a private immigration detention facility without basic information about scope, timeline, or operational impact,” the letter states. “That lack of transparency is unacceptable.”

The congressional members requested that the Department of Homeland Security and ICE leadership respond to their questions by early March.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Kris Mayes penned a similar letter to DHS Sec. Kristi Noem, requesting details about a separate prospective ICE facility in Surprise. Mayes had set a Feb. 17 deadline for a response. The deadline passed. As of Feb. 25, Mayes’ office said the Attorney General had not received a response from Noem.

At Marana Town Council meetings, detention center issue remains front and center

News broke about the possible Marana detention center last year, when Management & Training Corporation, a private firm, purchased the site of a former state prison near Marana’s regional airport. MTC currently operates immigration detention centers in California, New Mexico, and Texas.

At a Marana Town Council meeting last week, dozens of people spoke about the detention center during the call to the public; most opposed the facility, though several speakers told council members they supported ICE operations.

Local organizers with the group Pima Resists Ice (PRICE) have asked the Town Council to pass a resolution opposing the facility. The council has not introduced such a resolution or ordinance. Addressing residents last week, Councilmember Patrick Cavanaugh asserted that an ordinance would be ineffective in stopping a detention center.

“They’re non-binding ordinances,” he said.

Still, Cavanaugh added he was “crossing his fingers” that MTC wouldn’t construct a detention center.

“Marana is a beautiful community for families, for businesses,” Cavanaugh said. “We’ve all heard it from both sides here. Who would logically want to have an ICE detention center in this town?”