Burlington Town Meeting Takes Action Against ICE Facility

BURLINGTON, MA — Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to condemn "inhumane" conditions at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility located on District Avenue, Boston.com reported.

Town Meeting includes 126 members, and the vote came on the final night of Meeting sessions. Only five voted against the measure.

Phyllis Neufeld introduced the resolution and said she did this to bring attention to the treatment of migrants and to protect the town's reputation, according to Boston.com.

Those detained at the facility have reportedly been denied adequate food, forced to sleep on concrete, and subjected to overcrowding, according to GBH News.

However, federal officials have denied this, saying that "(a)ny claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE detention centers are false."

The ICE site near the Burlington Mall has received attention in recent months, including a protest where three people were arrested in September.

Related: 3 Activists Arrested At Burlington ICE Facility, Police Say

Protests held each Wednesday have also brought attention to the detention facility.

The town demanded to be allowed to inspect the facility following the controversial arrest of a Milford High School student who was detained there.

An initial statement from the town noted that ICE "may now be operating in a capacity inconsistent with the zoning approvals previously granted. Specifically, that [the building] is being used as a detention facility."

But ICE denied the town's request for inspection.

Related: Town Demands Inspection Of Burlington ICE Facility