HUTCHINS – The mayor of Hutchins, Mario Vasquez said he is not a fan of the idea of an ICE facility coming to his city.
The Washington Post broke the news in December about the possibility of a 1-million-square-foot warehouse being converted to a detention center.
If it comes to fruition, the detention center facility would be able to hold as many as 9,500 people.
Last week, local ministers Rev. Eric Folkerth from Kessler Park United Methodist Church; Pastor Rosio Bamihe from Lovers Lane United Methodist Church; Rabbi Kim Herzog-Cohen from Temple Emanu-El of Dallas and Rev. Carl Sherman from Faith Family Church spoke out against the possible ICE facility.
The speaking out regarding the ICE facility’s possible plans in Hutchins was wrapped around the clergy’s concerns regarding the situation in Minnesota as well.
“This is a crisis of our Constitution, federal overreach, militarized enforcement, and the erosion of civil liberties,” a press release said.
The possible site for the new facility could be an existing warehouse adjacent to the Hutchins State Jail, which is said not to have been built to house people.
No further details from any spokesperson from ICE have been released. However, ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons said last year “We need to get better at treating this like a business, like [Amazon] Prime, but with human beings.”