[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 181 (Tuesday, November 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H8532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INHUMANE TREATMENT OF THE UNDOCUMENTED CANNOT BE REWARDED
(Mr. QUIGLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on the appalling
state of our Nation's immigration detention centers.
Devoid of health services and basic medical standards, these ICE
facilities are cruel and inhumane. Suicide rates are high, children and
families are traumatized, and LGBT detainees are subject to alarming
rates of abuse.
These centers are also very expensive. Daily operations cost $165 per
detainee, and $2 billion, annually, despite detention alternatives that
can cost as little as $9 a day.
Yet even with this track record, ICE funding has nearly doubled from
the Bush administration to today, and transparency has fallen by the
wayside under the current administration, all while conditions continue
to deteriorate.
Inhumane treatment of the undocumented cannot be rewarded with
repeated budget increases. It goes against our country's most
fundamental values and cannot continue. We must cut ICE's budget until
these concerns are addressed.
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