SALT LAKE CITY — Protesters spoke and sang in front of the Utah Governor’s Mansion on Tuesday afternoon, showing their opposition to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility coming to Salt Lake City.
Through music, people in the "Singing Resistance" called on state officials.
“I think getting everybody angrier, it doesn’t cause us to find a solution, nor does it help us to be in a good position to eventually talk about it and have a solution, so the Singing Resistance really is about that reaction,” Rebecca Lea McCarthy said.
McCarthy was just one of the many people outside asking Gov. Spencer Cox to stop the ICE facility’s progress in Utah. People there said they are concerned about the impact this facility could have on the community.
“Well, we know that in New Hampshire, when the republican governor opposed the facility, ICE backed out," said Melissa Barbanell, a volunteer with Salt Lake Indivisible. "So, we’d like to see Governor Cox take action and take a position in opposition to this."
Barbanell, like other protesters, said the public hasn’t been part of the process and hasn’t been given details about the facility.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall has expressed her opposition to the center, formally requesting a meeting with ICE to discuss the agency's plans.
Salt Lake City
Mendenhall claims ICE detention center would take 'enormous toll' on city
Republican Sen. John Curtis, himself a former mayor, appears to agree with Mendenhall's anger over being left out of ICE plans.
“Having served as a mayor, I understand firsthand the importance of zoning and strategic planning. Whether a project is as routine as a new hotel or as impactful as a detention facility, local engagement is a necessity in any instance," Curtis wrote. “The decision to move forward with this facility via back-door negotiations—bypassing input from local leaders—is shortsighted and likely counterproductive to supporting the strategic growth and long-term infrastructure plans of Salt Lake City’s west side."
There are still no specific details on the timeline of the ICE facility’s construction. Mendenhall gave ICE a March 27 deadline to respond to her request.
FOX 13 News reached out to Cox’s office for any comment on the issue, but we have yet to hear back.
