Democratic members of Arizona’s congressional delegation have proposed a bill that would set a cap on the amount of time individuals can be detained at ICE holding facilities.
The aim is to address overcrowding and “inhumane conditions” in those detention centers.
Reps. Greg Stanton, Yassamin Ansari and Adelita Grijalva introduced the bill. If passed, it would establish a 12-hour time limit for detainees at a temporary ICE holding facility at Mesa Gateway Airport and others across the country.
As of 2026, holding times at Mesa Gateway’s holding facility more than tripled from the previous year, jumping to over 36 hours on average, according to the Arizona Mirror. Stanton says the 12-hour cap is key for ensuring humane living conditions.
“This bill is absolutely clear. Twelve hours means 12 hours. We have to have humane conditions. People should not be sleeping on cement floors for days on end," Stanton said in an interview with KJZZ.
Stanton and the other sponsors conducted a surprise visit to the detention facility in Mesa earlier this month. They say rooms were packed with more than 50 people, despite having a 21-person capacity, and those people were often held for longer than 12 hours.
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