HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

DHS denies overcrowding, broken toilets at Mesa ICE facility

May 23, 2026 · Mesa, AZ

The Department of Homeland Security denied allegations of overcrowding and plumbing failures at the Arizona Removal Operations Coordination Center in Mesa, despite ICE's own data showing the facility regularly exceeded its 157-person capacity, reaching as high as 777 detainees. U.S. Representatives Yassamin Ansari and Greg Stanton conducted unannounced oversight visits and reported being told by ICE agents that toilets regularly overflow. ICE claims toilet issues are rare and immediately addressed, contradicting accounts from detainees and oversight officials.

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