Rep. Yassamin Ansari visited a Phoenix ICE facility. Here’s what she found inside.
U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari visited the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Phoenix Field Office on Sept. 9 following reporting from the AZ Mirror that raised concerns about conditions for people held at the facility.
“The reason I decided to come to this facility today was largely because of the reporting that the Arizona Mirror and other outlets have done about the alarming conditions inside the facility, specifically the fact that between December of 2025 and March of 2026, we know there were 11 calls made to 911 for people having things like seizures and people having medical issues,” Ansari said during a press conference following the visit.
The AZ Mirror investigation found ICE agents called 911 at least 11 times for detainees experiencing medical emergencies, including seizures, chest pain and breathing problems.
During her visit, Ansari said she saw holding rooms with toilets and drinking water, as well as designated rooms for families and smaller cells that ICE officials told her could be used to hold minors separately.
Ansari criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and said she plans to continue making oversight visits, pointing to reports of inadequate medical care and poor conditions at immigration detention centers in Arizona.
“We know that rules have been broken and norms have been broken left and right,” Ansari said.
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