State Sen. Michael Brooks Jiménez is raising concerns over reported federal plans to open a large scale U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in south Oklahoma City.
Brooks Jiménez said ICE intends to open a 1,500 person detention center inside a warehouse near Southwest 29th Street and Meridian Avenue, a building he said was designed for storage and logistics, not long term human confinement.
“Detaining hundreds of people in close quarters inside a warehouse raises serious concerns about ventilation, sanitation, public health, and safety. Anyone with basic knowledge of detention environments understands the heightened risk of disease spread, mental health deterioration, violence, and unrest when large numbers of people are confined in inappropriate conditions,” Brooks Jiménez said.
He said the project has moved forward with little public consultation, leaving residents without a meaningful voice in a decision that could affect surrounding neighborhoods.
The senator also expressed concern over reports that ICE may seek to purchase the entire 26 acre property, signaling the facility could become a permanent detention complex with expanded security infrastructure, fundamentally changing the character of the area.
He called on ICE to provide immediate transparency, fully engage the public, and halt development until the community has a meaningful role in the decision making process.
Thank you Sen. Michael Brooks Jiménez for protecting our community
