Reject the ICE Detention Expansion in Arizona
The Issue
Arizona is on track to become one of the top five states for immigrant detention capacity in the country—and it’s happening without public input or local accountability.
A new report from The Washington Post reveals that the Trump administration plans to more than double the number of people Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can detain this year. Arizona alone is expected to add over 1,200 new detention beds across facilities in Maricopa County, Marana, and Florence—many run by private prison contractors with checkered records and profit-driven incentives.
This expansion will turn local jails and underused correctional facilities into federally-controlled detention centers, bypassing community voices and locking out Arizona’s elected leaders from having meaningful oversight. For many Arizonans—Republican, Independent, and Democrat alike—that’s deeply troubling. Our communities deserve a say in how federal agencies operate in our neighborhoods.
Beyond the issue of local control, there’s a moral cost. These detention facilities, especially the “soft-sided” tent structures and massive mega-centers, have been linked to overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and severe mental health impacts—especially for children. Family detention, which was previously phased out due to its harmful effects, is now quietly being revived on a larger scale. Detaining children with their parents doesn’t make it humane—it just doubles the trauma.
This is not about party politics. This is about whether we want Arizona to be a place defined by mass incarceration, or one that values dignity, transparency, and local accountability. The federal government may write the checks, but we live with the consequences.
We call on Governor Katie Hobbs, Arizona Department of Corrections Director Ryan Thornell, and Arizona’s state legislature to reject ICE detention expansion in Arizona. No new beds. No new contracts. No turning local facilities into federal prisons without our consent.
Arizonans have a right to decide what kind of state we want to be. Let’s speak up before it’s too late.
Sign this petition to demand a halt to ICE detention expansion in Arizona.
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The Issue
Arizona is on track to become one of the top five states for immigrant detention capacity in the country—and it’s happening without public input or local accountability.
A new report from The Washington Post reveals that the Trump administration plans to more than double the number of people Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can detain this year. Arizona alone is expected to add over 1,200 new detention beds across facilities in Maricopa County, Marana, and Florence—many run by private prison contractors with checkered records and profit-driven incentives.
This expansion will turn local jails and underused correctional facilities into federally-controlled detention centers, bypassing community voices and locking out Arizona’s elected leaders from having meaningful oversight. For many Arizonans—Republican, Independent, and Democrat alike—that’s deeply troubling. Our communities deserve a say in how federal agencies operate in our neighborhoods.
Beyond the issue of local control, there’s a moral cost. These detention facilities, especially the “soft-sided” tent structures and massive mega-centers, have been linked to overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and severe mental health impacts—especially for children. Family detention, which was previously phased out due to its harmful effects, is now quietly being revived on a larger scale. Detaining children with their parents doesn’t make it humane—it just doubles the trauma.
This is not about party politics. This is about whether we want Arizona to be a place defined by mass incarceration, or one that values dignity, transparency, and local accountability. The federal government may write the checks, but we live with the consequences.
We call on Governor Katie Hobbs, Arizona Department of Corrections Director Ryan Thornell, and Arizona’s state legislature to reject ICE detention expansion in Arizona. No new beds. No new contracts. No turning local facilities into federal prisons without our consent.
Arizonans have a right to decide what kind of state we want to be. Let’s speak up before it’s too late.
Sign this petition to demand a halt to ICE detention expansion in Arizona.
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Petition created on August 20, 2025