Minute: Opposing New ICE Centers and Offices

     As members of Durham Friends Meeting, we feel compelled to speak out for the rights and dignity of our immigrant and refugee neighbors. As Quakers, we believe in that of God in everyone and that all deserve to be treated with respect and fairness. We make this public witness out of our sacred duty to work to protect all people, our community, and our neighbors.

     We now speak out against the potential development of detention centers and offices by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in North Carolina and elsewhere. There have been news reports indicating that DHS has purchased, is in the process of purchasing, or is leasing property for three large detention centers and two office buildings in our state. These particular facilities are proposed in Concord, Greensboro, Winton, Cary, and Charlotte. Our concerns extend beyond just these locations. Potential locations change frequently, and other locations may be proposed in the future.

     Many report that the conditions and operation of DHS detention centers are inhumane, violating standards of human decency. People are held without due process or access to legal support. People are subject to unsanitary conditions, inadequate/inedible food, violence, mistreatment, and withholding of medical care. As people of faith, we are obliged to speak out now and in the future in opposition to the wrongful and inhumane treatment of people in our communities. Given the lack of due process and the pattern of abuse and violence in the DHS detention centers, we oppose the construction and operation of any new facilities.

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(Approved by Business Meeting Fifteenth Day, Third Month, 2026, Durham Friends Meeting)

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