Overview
- Rep. Seth Moulton spent about 90 minutes inside the Burlington office on Monday, witnessed an asylum interview, and said he saw fewer than 10 detainees compared with roughly 50 in June.
- He reported that people are still sleeping on concrete without mats and said ICE attributed the lack of mats to shutdown-related procurement delays, adding that the supplies have now been ordered.
- Moulton said faster movement through the facility leaves detainees with less time for lawyers to intervene in their cases and asked ICE for data on average lengths of stay.
- In a previously issued statement, ICE described the site as designed for short administrative holds and said people held there receive food, phone access, showers, legal representation, and medical care when needed.
- A Globe analysis found Boston-area arrests have more than tripled and out-of-region transfers have surged sixfold this year, as Massachusetts lacks a long-term ICE facility for women and often sends detainees out of state.