Rep. Ansari Calls for Investigation into Alleged Abuse at Arizona Immigration Facility

Arizona Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari  (D) is calling on the Trump Administration to investigate troubling conditions at the Eloy immigration detention center after her late May visit revealed serious concerns about how detainees are being treated.

During her oversight visit on May 29, 2025, the Democratic representative spoke with more than 20 detained individuals who described what she characterized as inhumane treatment by facility staff. The complaints she gathered paint a disturbing picture of conditions at the center, which Ansari notes has the highest number of reported issues among detention facilities and has been receiving detainees from recent immigration raids in Phoenix.

The detainees reported being forced to walk laps outside in extreme heat for approximately two hours without water until at least one person fainted from the conditions. They also described staff manipulating air conditioning systems, turning off cooling then suddenly switching to very low temperatures, which made some people sick. 

According to Ansari, one facility employee allegedly told the detained individuals that enduring these harsh conditions was "the price of the American Dream" while forcing them to walk outside in the heat.

“So with detention centers like these set to make record profits, the least that can be done is adequate staff that’s properly trained to treat people in a humane and dignified way, is adequate water and medical treatment,” Ansari expressed. 

The congresswoman also discovered that phone numbers for DHS oversight offices have been removed from the facility, potentially limiting detainees' ability to report problems.

Ansari has formally requested that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem address these complaints and provide documentation showing how the department manages detention operations at Eloy. 

“This letter only begins to address my list of concerns regarding this facility. However, to quickly address my immediate areas of concern, I’ve prioritized obtaining answers to the above-listed questions that your representatives have denied via public statement on June 2, 2025. If your Department engages in an additional scheduled visit to review these concerns and identify the associated documented complaints, I expect you will be disturbed by what you uncover.” Said Ansari.

In her letter to Secretary Noem, Ansari emphasized that many of these issues should already be documented through the facility's internal grievance process. She indicated that her initial letter only scratches the surface of her concerns about the facility and expects that any additional departmental review will uncover disturbing findings.

The congresswoman stated her intention to report the testimonies she collected, particularly from dozens of women detainees, directly to the Trump administration as part of her ongoing oversight efforts.