Adelita Grijalva
DOn Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the history, resilience, and contributions of Native communities across Southern Arizona and throughout our nation. Here in Southern Arizona, we recognize that we are all on Indigenous land and have a responsibility to stand alongside Tribal Nations in the fight for justice, sovereignty, and the protection of their ancestral and sacred lands, water, and rights. May we continue this work not just today, but every day.
This is the latest — and darkest —chapter of Trump’s racist political persecution against Ilhan Omar and the entire Somali-American community. This is abhorrent, period. I stand with @Ilhan.
This is absolutely horrific. I'm thinking of @bernadetteaz08 and sending her my deepest support and solidarity. No one should ever have to experience such a horrific act of sexual violence. https://t.co/Q6PX908e4T
Marana, Arizona — Yesterday, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva joined local community members in Marana for a press conference addressing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s new contract with Management and Training Corporation (MTC) to open an immigration detention facility in Marana within the next 60 days. The press conference brought together community members and local voices to raise concerns about the proposed facility and the record of MTC, the company contracted to operate it. MTC has previously operated correctional facilities in Arizona that faced allegations and documented concerns involving conditions including sexual abuse, inadequate food, extreme heat, and prison riots. The State of Arizona has terminated previous contracts with MTC under both Democratic and Republican governors. Earlier this year, Rep. Grijalva wrote a letter demanding transparency on the proposed facility to then-Secretary Noem. This comes after Rep. Grijalva wrote a letter demanding transparency on the proposed facility to then-Secretary Noem and joined community members earlier in the year at a press conference alongside Reps. Stanton and Ansari. A copy of her remarks are below: “Buenas tardes. Thank you to PRICE for organizing this press conference. We’re here today because DHS is once again rushing to open another private detention facility in Arizona. Eso no está bien. Nuestra comunidad merece respuestas. This is happening as deaths in ICE custody reach record levels – and as the agency fails to provide even the most basic care for the people already in its custody. Just today, I learned about another disease outbreak - this time at a facility in Eloy. Yet instead of addressing these conditions, this Administration is marching full steam ahead to fuel its cruel mass-deportation agenda. And there is another reason we should be deeply concerned about this particular facility: Management & Training Corporation, or MTC, has a long and documented history of serious problems at facilities it has operated. Here in Arizona, that history includes allegations of sexual abuse that were not properly reported, chronic understaffing and inadequate training, major security failures, and destructive prison riots. In 2010, three inmates escaped from an MTC-operated prison in Kingman due to serious security failures. While on the run, two of the escapees brutally murdered an elderly couple in New Mexico, leading to a large wrongful death settlement between the state of Arizona and the victims’ family. Five years later, after riots at the same prison, an investigation found a “culture of disorganization, disengagement, and disregard.” Those aren’t my words. Those are the findings that led Republican Governor Doug Ducey to terminate the state’s contract with MTC. In 2017, at an MTC-operated ICE Processing Center in New Mexico, the DHS Office of the Inspector General raised concerns about the treatment and care of detainees. Two people detained there died after pleading for medical help from facility staff. This is the company the federal government is entrusting with the lives of hundreds of people here in Marana. And they are moving fast. MTC says it plans to have this facility up and running within 60 days of signing its contract with ICE. Sixty days. That should alarm every person in this community, especially when there are still so many unanswered questions. First and foremost: How many people are actually going to be held here? A document earlier this year suggested more than 1,300, but the contract MTC signed says up to 775. Both of these numbers are significantly above the 513-bed capacity the state prison previously operated under. Regardless of what the final number is, one thing is abundantly clear: local residents do not want this facility. La gente de Marana merece tener voz. Since President Trump returned to office, at least 56 people have died in ICE custody, including four in Arizona. And now the federal government has awarded MTC a contract with a potential value of more than $355 million to operate this facility. That is a drop in the bucket of the nearly $261 BILLION Congress has approved for immigration enforcement under Trump. Our communities are tired of our taxpayer dollars being wasted on these private detention centers to meet arbitrary deportation quotas. We are tired of seeing private companies profit off Trump’s cruel and inhumane immigration agenda. No queremos más dinero para compañías privadas While the federal government operates in secrecy, local residents and their elected officials across the country are pushing back against these facilities, using zoning, public nuisance laws, and other means. MTC’s history of poorly-run facilities, combined with the track-record of abuses at DHS, underscore the concerns of Marana residents. Unfortunately, the responsibility of oversight has fallen on local governments because the federal government is willfully asleep at the wheel. We will continue asking questions. We will continue demanding accountability. And we will continue fighting to ensure that the people of Marana have a voice in what happens in their own community. Vamos a seguir luchando por nuestra comunidad. Thank you. Muchas gracias.” ###
Nogales, Arizona – Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the below statement following reports of a U.S. Border Patrol raid and the toppling of a centuries-old cottonwood tree along the U.S.-Mexico border near Lochiel, Arizona. This comes after a U.S. Forest Service announcement posted on its website – without any prior public input or notification – last week closing roads and restricting public access to miles of lands along the U.S.-Mexico border as they proceed with wall construction. “Just days after the U.S. Forest Service closed miles of public lands along the border, armed Border Patrol agents conducted a raid that injured protesters and uprooted the last of four century-old cottonwood trees. This is what the militarization of our borderlands looks like – and it’s all because DHS has more taxpayer dollars than it knows what to do with, and is wasting them on a reckless and useless second border wall. Our borderlands are home to unique ecosystems and world-class biodiversity, including some of the last remaining habitat for the Sonoran jaguar in the United States. DHS and its private contractors have repeatedly shown they cannot be trusted to protect sensitive cultural and environmental sites. That is why public access and oversight are so critical. Instead, DHS is following the same playbook: shut out the public, evade scrutiny, and recklessly bulldoze our lands. Administrations come and go, but unfortunately the damage the Trump administration is inflicting on our irreplaceable borderlands cannot simply be undone.”
Private contractor has troubled past operating prisons closed by state Tucson, AZ - Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the following statement after it was reported that Management and Training Corporation, a private prison contractor, recently signed a contract with ICE and would be opening a detention center in Marana within the next 60 days. “DHS is once again rushing to open another private detention facility over the objections of local residents, even as deaths in ICE custody reach record levels and the agency fails to provide basic care for people already in its custody. This time, it’s turning to a private company with a record of overseeing prison conditions including alleged sexual abuse, inadequate food, extreme heat, and prison riots so serious that both Democratic and Republican governors have terminated contracts with them. Now, DHS wants to put this company in charge of a facility that holds up to 775 people in Marana - even though its previous capacity was 513 as a state prison. What could possibly go wrong?”
Tucson, AZ — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva alongside House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), introduced the America’s College Promise Act of 2026, legislation to make community college and two-year Tribal Colleges and Universities more accessible by waiving tuition and fees for eligible students. “Students in Southern Arizona and across the country should not have to take on tens of thousands of dollars in debt just to get the education and skills they need to build a better future,” said Rep. Adelita Grijalva. “The America’s College Promise Act is about making sure that opportunity is within reach for every student — whether they are graduating from high school, entering the workforce, changing careers, or returning to the classroom later in life. By expanding access to community and technical colleges, we are investing in students, strengthening our workforce, and giving communities the tools they need to thrive.” “At Pima Community College, our students are working toward a better future while balancing jobs, family responsibilities, and the cost of their education,” said Dr. Jeffrey Nasse, Chancellor of Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. "45 percent of PCC students are low-income. The America’s College Promise Act would help ease that financial burden and invest in the support students need to succeed in college and contribute to our local economies. We appreciate Congresswoman Grijalva’s leadership on legislation that would help more Southern Arizonans gain the skills and credentials to advance their careers and pursue their long-term goals.” The legislation would create a federal-state partnership to waive tuition and fees for two years of eligible community and technical college programs. It would also provide support for institutions to improve enrollment, retention, transfer, and completion rates, particularly among low-income, first-generation, and underserved students. “Community colleges play a unique and vital role in providing students access to a quality postsecondary degree. Regrettably, the chronic underfunding of community colleges is jeopardizing their ability to support their students and communities,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “The America’s College Promise Act is a major investment in expanding opportunities for students and rebuilding a stronger economy.” “In New Mexico, we know free community college can unlock the doors to a brighter future,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández. “The America’s College Promise Act builds on New Mexico’s example by making sure students across the country can attend community college without the burden of tuition and fees. Our bill will provide funds for services students need to earn their degrees and reduce the financial burden for low-income students to attend TCUs, HBCUs, and MSIs.” “As a professor, it was a privilege to witness students claim their education and seize their futures — yet the real fear and burden of immense student loan debt often deters young adults and returning students from expanding their learning,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean. “The America’s College Promise Act provides tuition-free community college courses and expands funding for HBCUs and trade schools, making the path to higher education and career readiness available to more Americans and future generations.” “Every Wisconsinite deserves the opportunity to get the education and skills they need to land a good-paying job and build a better life, no matter where they come from or how much money their family makes,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “That’s why I am proud to work with my colleagues to remove barriers and lower the cost of community college, so more Wisconsinites have the opportunity to compete, succeed, and live a good middle-class life.” The America’s College Promise Act of 2026 will make the skills and credentials necessary to succeed in the workforce more accessible to all students by creating a new federal-state partnership to provide two years of tuition-free community college. The America’s College Promise Act of 2026 would: Create a federal-state partnership to waive tuition and fees for two years of eligible community and technical college programs while promoting reforms designed to accelerate student success; Establish a sliding federal funding share, beginning at 100 percent in the first year and transitioning to 80 percent beginning in the fifth and subsequent years; Ensure educational pathways lead to opportunity by requiring programs to offer academic credits transferable to four-year institutions in their state or occupational training leading to recognized credentials; Maintain and encourage state investment in higher education; Establish a Student Success Fund to improve enrollment, retention, transfer, completion, and labor market outcomes for underserved students, including students of color and low-income and first-generation college students; Waive two years of tuition and fees for eligible students attending Tribal Colleges and Universities; and Create a new grant program for HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to cover a significant portion of tuition and fees during the first two years of attendance for eligible low-income students. ###
One of many reasons to vote @MansourforAZ!
Ahmed Soliman was deported from Arizona to Equatorial Guinea — a country he has no connection to. After speaking out about horrific detention conditions, he was hooded, beaten, and hospitalized. Yet the Supreme Court just allowed the Trump administration to resume third-country deportations. This is shameful and illegal.
Direct CARE Opportunity Act helps meet the growing demand for direct care workers, improve working conditions, and support seniors and people with disabilities Tucson, AZ — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva, alongside House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03), announced plans toreintroduce the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act of 2026, legislation to invest in the training, recruitment, retention, and career advancement of the nation’s direct care workforce. Between 2025 and 2035, the direct care workforce is projected toadd more than 886,000 new jobs. Despite this growing demand, direct care workers still earn low wages and experience unstable working conditions. The current median wage for direct care workers is just $17.36 an hour. In addition to low wages, direct care workers also face high injury rates. For example, nursing assistants are nearly five times more likely than the typical U.S. worker to experience workplace injuries or illnesses. Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration have made the situation even more dire by cutting Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion in the “Big Ugly Bill” and threatening other public assistance that helps many direct care workers make ends meet. As a result, many states are reducing access to home and community-based services, the main source of funding for direct care workers. The Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026 strengthens the training, support, and career opportunities that direct care workers need to support millions of older Americans and people with disabilities. “For so many families throughout Southern Arizona, direct care workers provide critical support that allows older adults and people with disabilities to live with dignity and age in place. Despite the essential work they do, direct care workers are too often underpaid and lack the support and opportunities they deserve, contributing to a growing shortage of providers. The Direct CARE Opportunity Act invests in these workers by expanding training, strengthening career pathways, and helping recruit and retain the workforce our communities depend on,” said Rep. Grijalva. “Direct care workers play an essential role in caring for our nation’s seniors and individuals with disabilities,” said Ranking Member Scott. “Regrettably, our investments in this critical workforce have lagged far behind the rapidly growing need for their services. It’s time to address the shortage of care workers and provide them with the resources and support they deserve. By funding innovative strategies to recruit, retain, and support direct care workers, the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026 helps ensure that our nation’s seniors and individuals with disabilities have access to vital, everyday care.” “Nevada is home to more than 13,000 direct care workers who work tirelessly to support Nevada seniors and those with disabilities every day, and demand for their services is skyrocketing,” said Rep. Lee. “The Direct CARE Opportunity Act meets that demand by directly investing in the retention, recruitment, and training of our direct care workforce. This practical investment supports caregivers currently in the workforce, strengthens the direct care workforce pipeline, and ensures that those who depend on direct care workers can continue to live securely and with dignity.” The Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026 would: Provide funding to states and eligible entities to invest in strategies to recruit, retain, and advance the direct care workforce. Expand training, registered apprenticeships, and mentoring opportunities to strengthen the direct care workforce pipeline. Develop career pathway models to support retention and advancement within the direct care field. Help communities meet the needs of a growing aging population and support older Americans and people with disabilities who want to remain in their communities. Support the health and well-being of people who rely on direct care services, helping reduce reliance on more costly institutional care. To read the bill text for the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026, click here. To read the fact sheet for the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026, click here. To read the section-by-section for the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026, click here. ###
Rape and sexual assault are perpetuated by institutions when violence against women is met with silence or swept under the rug. Whether it’s the seven students at Cornell University or men who abuse their positions of power, when abusers aren’t held accountable and brought to justice, institutions reinforce a system that fails survivors. Young women and girls shouldn’t have to pay the price for a broken system that enables and ignores this horrific behavior.
The Supreme Court just gave the Trump Administration the green light to deport people to third countries where they have no connection and that have documented records of human rights abuses. Some people have subsequently been sent to their countries of origin, where they face the threat of persecution, torture, and death. This decision undermines longstanding U.S. and international protections meant to prevent people from being returned to places where they face serious danger. This cruel and inhumane policy is a black eye on Lady Liberty. We are a nation that promises to welcome the "poor" and "huddled masses" yearning for freedom. Instead, we are sending vulnerable people into harm’s way — and, in some cases, potentially to their deaths. This is shameful and illegal.
“Using border wall construction to justify closing dozens of acres of public lands at a moment's notice through January 2029 is unnecessary and deeply troubling - especially when these lands include sensitive ecosystems and world-class biodiversity that cannot simply be replaced. We have already seen the devastating consequences when DHS and its contractors operate without oversight along the border, including the destruction of the Las Playas Intaglio." "Arizonans deserve transparency about what is happening on our public lands. We have a right to know why such a sweeping closure is necessary and what is being done to protect these areas — not be shut out from documenting the impacts of border wall construction."
In addition, the Trump administration must bring back the individuals they have already illegally deported to third countries. This includes people like Ahmed Soliman, who have been “hooded, bound, and beaten.” https://t.co/7XQFNPKfYY
Third-country deportations are a MORAL ABOMINATION. We are literally deporting people into harm’s way, if not death. The Trump administration must halt this shameful and illegal practice IMMEDIATELY. https://t.co/7QhKXRmFPt
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva and Senator Ron Wyden introduced the Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act, legislation to restore protections for Social Security and other earned benefits from garnishment. The bill would repeal provisions added in 1996 that allowed the federal government to reduce Social Security benefits to collect delinquent federal non-tax debts, such as student loans. The legislation would restore the protections originally provided under the Social Security Act and extend those protections across Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and Black Lung benefits. “Social Security is not a handout — it is a benefit earned over decades of hard work. Retirees deserve to know that money will be there when they need it,” said Rep. Grijalva. “At a time when the cost of living continues to rise, seniors living on fixed incomes can’t afford to have their Social Security benefits taken away. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Wyden to protect these critical benefits that retirees have earned.” “Social Security should not be able to garnish benefits that American workers earned over a lifetime of hard work on account of outstanding student debt or other federal loans,” said Senator Wyden. “With inflation and rising costs of living, Congress must take the financial burden off struggling seniors and Americans with disabilities at risk of seeing their Social Security benefits cut. That's why I am proud to introduce legislation that will ensure that Americans’ benefits are protected from garnishment, providing greater peace of mind to seniors in their retirement." By the numbers: For millions of adults, Social Security is their sole source of income and for more than 63% it makes up over half of their retirement income. Garnishment can be financially devastating. According to the CFPB, the total amount of Social Security benefits the Department of Education collected between 2001 and 2019 through the offset program increased from $16.2 million to $429.7 million. In 2019, the average amount collected from individual beneficiaries was $186 per month. Read the full text of the bill here. Read a one-pager of the bill here. The bill has been endorsed by the following organizations: Social Security Works, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), AFL-CIO, Justice in Aging, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). ###
The Trump Administration is quietly moving to expand an existing detention facility in Florence, Arizona. And who gets paid when detention expands? The same for-proft prison companies who donated to Trump. BILLIONS are being poured into expanding Trump's cruel mass detention and deportation machine while people inside it are struggling to get basic necessities and medical care. https://t.co/DV8yzarzzS
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the below statement following new reports (here and here) that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a $1.2 billion contract for the expansion of an existing detention facility in Florence, Arizona. A project scope for the planned expansion can be accessed here. Previously, DHS announced plans for new detention facilities in Marana and Surprise, Arizona, however both projects have faced strong opposition from local residents and legal hurdles, leaving their future unclear. “After local residents overwhelmingly opposed ICE’s plans for massive new detention centers in Marana and Surprise, the Trump Administration is quietly moving to expand existing facility capacity in Florence. At the same time, people already in Arizona detention centers can’t get clean drinking water, edible food, or adequate medical care. DHS should be fixing these appalling conditions — not preparing to funnel another $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars into expanding Trump’s cruel mass detention and deportation machine.” ###
ICE shot 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez while he was making a DoorDash delivery. He has no criminal record. An ICE agent still shot him—and then took him into custody with the bullet still lodged in his back. He could become paralyzed. THIS is why ICE must be ABOLISHED.
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva introduced a package of English Language Learner bills, comprehensive legislation that includes the Reaching English Learners Act, the Families Learning and Understanding English Together (FLUENT) Act, and the Supporting Young Language Learners’ Access to Bilingual Education (SYLLABLE) Act. English Learners (ELs) make up 10.6% of the nation's K-12 population, totaling over 5 million public school students. This diverse demographic spans one in ten students nationwide, including native speakers of Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, and many other languages. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the high school graduation rate for ELs sits at just 68 percent, compared to 85 percent for their non-EL peers. Together, these bills would provide sustained investments in programs, partnerships, and services that support English learners, their families, and the educators who serve them. The package includes: The Reaching English Learners Act would strengthen partnerships between institutions of higher education and high-need local educational agencies through competitive grants. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 32 states and the District of Columbia lack enough qualified EL educators. These grants would help pre-service teachers obtain English as a Second Language (ESL) licensure and prepare more educators to meet the needs of English learners. The Families Learning and Understanding English Together (FLUENT) Act would expand literacy services for families of English learners with unmet literacy needs. By increasing access to literacy education and resources, the bill would help families strengthen educational, social, and economic opportunities. The Supporting Young Language Learners’ Access to Bilingual Education (SYLLABLE) Act would strengthen bilingual education through targeted investments in dual-language immersion programs and support innovative strategies at local educational agencies serving students from low-income communities, communities of color, and English learner backgrounds, particularly students in preschool through fifth grade. The bill would help expand opportunities for students to develop bilingualism, biliteracy, and cross-cultural competency while preparing them to succeed in an increasingly multilingual workforce. “Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed, and that starts with ensuring that our schools have the proper resources to teach students of all backgrounds,” said Rep Grijalva. “English learners bring so much to our classrooms, communities, and workforce. We should be investing in their success, and supporting their families and the educators who help them thrive. This package is about giving every student a fair shot and building stronger schools and communities for all of us.”
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the below statement following new reports (here, here, and here) that Ahmed Soliman was “hooded, bound, and beaten with guns and shoved down a flight of stairs,” and is at risk of torture. Ahmed was recently arrested by local authorities after speaking out about the conditions he and other detainees who were deported from the U.S. face at a decommissioned hotel in Equatorial Guinea. “I am horrified by disturbing new reports of Ahmed being hooded, bound, and beaten. I fear his life is in immediate danger. The Trump Administration deported Ahmed into harm’s way and bears full responsibility for his cruel treatment — and for what happens to him next. The Administration must act immediately to secure Ahmed’s release before it is too late, along with the release of others being involuntarily held in Equatorial Guinea. Moreover, DHS must immediately cease this shameful and illegal practice of third-party country deportations.” ###
UPDATE: @amnesty is reporting that Ahmed is being held in an overcrowded prison cell. During his arrest, "police officers covered the two men’s heads with a bag and beat them in their heads, backs and ribs." Ultimate responsibility lies with the Trump admin, who deported him into harm’s way. They need to take responsibility and demand Ahmed’s immediate release.
Detainees have reported no access to drinking water, edible food, or AC Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva took to the House floor to sound the alarm about deteriorating conditions at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona, following multiple reports her office has received from family members of detainees and their lawyers. They report detainees receiving only “ice chips” instead of proper drinking water, inedible food, and several housing units without air conditioning. Rep. Grijalva has completed five oversight visits of immigration detention facilities since taking office, including her first oversight visit as a Congresswoman to the facility in Eloy, which ultimately led to the release of Julia “La abuela” Benitez, a 79 year-old Cuban asylum seeker with dementia who was held there for nine months. In July, 120 detainees signed a letter outlining human rights abuses by the guards at the Eloy facility, which is privately operated by Core Civic. Watch the full speech here. A copy of her remarks are below: “Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm about deteriorating conditions at the Eloy Detention Center. My office has received multiple reports from the family members of people in detention and their lawyers that detainees are being denied access to proper drinking water. Instead, they are being given one cup of “ice chips” per day. In fact, I just met with Sonya, the wife of Yari, who was diagnosed with leukemia and is currently being held at Eloy. Her wife told her that detainees are only being given ice chips for water, which they have to wait until they melt. Two housing blocks are also without air conditioning. This is an outrage. At least 57 people have already died in ICE custody this year – 4 of them in Arizona. This number is likely higher. How many more human beings need to die before we do something? This is a moral failure. I’m calling on DHS to immediately address these conditions and ensure that all detainees have access to safe drinking water, edible food, and humane living conditions.” ###
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The “Ratepayer Protection Act” is the absolute bare minimum we can do to rein in data centers. Communities are being asked to sacrifice their water, energy, and land while massive corporations reap the profits. Congress needs to get to work on policies with real teeth—starting with a national moratorium on new data center construction.