SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) is condemning a decision by Dwight, Illinois village trustees to annex 88 acres of land to host a potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigrant detention facility.

“It is disgusting that the village trustees value construction jobs over the human rights of immigrants,” said Aquino. “ICE has consistently violated human rights to carry out the president’s racist agenda of deporting immigrants of color, and they are not welcome to carry out that agenda in my state.”

ICE is looking to build a $20 million detention facility near Illinois 17 and Interstate 55. Village trustees voted 5-2 to annex the property there and have been in talks with ICE to facilitate the construction of the site.

Several hundred individuals in Central Illinois protested the consideration of the facility and the Dwight Village Board meeting erupted with anger as village trustees voted in favor of construction.

“I drive by the proposed location every time I come to Springfield, and I will not tolerate watching the construction of a place that is set out to violate the human rights of my friends and neighbors,” said Aquino. “The State of Illinois needs to stand with immigrants and prevent the atrocities that ICE commits from happening in our own back yard. The State of Illinois must prevent the construction of this facility at all costs.”

Many people, including children under 10, have died while in ICE custody due to poor conditions and abuse. Over 1,000 people in detention have reported sexual abuse by ICE officers.