A fault-finding hearing held Friday by the Alaska House Judiciary Committee veered into political theater as Committee Chair Rep. Andrew Gray (D-Anchorage) repeatedly cited outdated federal guidance to raise concerns made by Democrats about the conditions of illegal immigrants detained at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
Gray’s comments during the hearing largely centered around a 2019 document issued during the Trump administration, which Gray treated as current and binding policy on how Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees must be held. However, that document was superseded in 2024, when a new updated guidance document was published under President Joe Biden. Again in 2025, a newer document superseded the older one, and addressed the protection of women ICE detainees from being housed with men dressing as women.
Despite this, Gray quoted extensively from the 2019 document and presented its contents as mandatory requirements for detainee treatment. He focused on specific elements such as the number of hours detainees are allowed outdoors, access to legal counsel, the cleanliness of detainee underwear, access to attorneys and phones, access to religious practices, and other living conditions within the facility.
Gray strongly implied that the state Department of Corrections may be violating federal standards, despite the fact that no such updated standard supports his claims in any material way. The ACLU is suing the state over the detention contract with ICE.
During the hearing, Gray frequently read from his phone, at times appearing to receive real-time input from individuals outside the hearing room, believed to be immigration attorneys and NGO advocates.
Gray’s line of questioning did not acknowledge the updated 2025 policy document, nor did he provide a clear explanation for why the outdated 2019 guidance was being treated as operative and had been uploaded into the committee’s document tab online for the hearing.
The hearing also included a written exchange with Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor, who was asked by Gray to respond to a written list of questions. Those documents, now part of the official record, reveal Taylor’s position that the Anchorage Correctional Complex is operating within the scope of both state and federal law, and that detainees have been afforded access to legal resources, appropriate living conditions, and other standards consistent with current ICE contractual obligations.
The Anchorage Correctional Complex currently houses about 40 ICE detainees under a preexisting contract with the federal government. The facility is required to comply with ICE’s latest detention standards, which allow for some flexibility in how states implement those standards, depending on local facility capabilities and contractual agreements. Democrats are using the contract as a way to drive a knife in the Department of Corrections.
It remains unclear whether any formal action will result from the hearing, other than whatever the ACLU and like-minded lawyer groups will find useful in lawsuits.
The hearing documents, including the questions from Gray and written responses from Attorney General Taylor, are now available on the documents tab at the Alaska Legislature’s committee page.
I used the 2019 Trump administration document, as I explained on the record, because it is specifically for non-dedicated ICE facilities like Anchorage Correctional Complex. The newer documents you reference are for ICE facilities. Either way, I believe strongly that the documents are consistent with each other. I do appreciate your interest in this matter. I hope that you will update your article to reflect the facts.
You lied. Everyone knows you lied. You did it on purpose. You can’t hide it. It’s on the record. You can’t weasel your way out of it – and no one is surprised.
Will you update your testimony to reflect how you were actively taking guidance on your comments from special interest groups? And what political contributions did these groups make to you? Isn’t this just another example of pay to play?
As BOBO the Gorilla would say- RIGHT! It sure seems like the prerequisite for being a Political Representative in Alaska and the US is to not know WTF you’re talking about!
You are wrong, as usual.
I find your defining this as a “non-dedicated ICE facility” laughable. This was and is certified by ICE as a ICE detention facility.
These, now 37 are here for criminal detention until deportation. You did not show, nor did ACLU what the charges are for their detention prior to removal from our nation.
Rep. Gray, what actions on the issue would satisfy House Judiciary Committee concerns, what person or agency would be the Committee’s preferred point of contact?
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Has the Committee considered asking for U.S. Department of Justice guidance to determine whether State Department of Corrections is violating current federal standards?
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On a closely related issue, is the Committee considering action on a constituent’s request for fact-finding hearings on the wrongful conviction of Thomas Jack, Jr., an Alaska Native from the village of Hoonah, who was egregiously denied his due process rights by the State in 2010 and has been wrongfully incarcerated in Alaska prisons for the past 15 years?
Using an obsolete document as the basis for your arguments, without disclosing more recent updated standards, undermines the integrity of the entire meeting and could be construed as a manipulation by omission.
It should also be of note that not all members of the judiciary committee were present. Were they not invited to participate?
I guess it’s worth it to waste time and money on this 80/20 issue, or is it 95/5. These wokesters really do not get how this kabuki theater plays with Americans.
Who gives a Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo what Representative Grey thinks? All he is doing holding hearings in an attempt to Help his political parties lagging poll numbers on a National Level.
Huge waste of time. Oh BTW… if the Democrats can tear themselves away from caring about Illegal Aliens so much…
They might find some real injustice in the incarceration of Alaska Indigenous people.
But typical Dems, they don’t care.
TDS runs deep with these folks. Rather than more hearings about illegal aliens and where to store them, just send these bafoon politicians for psychiatric examinations. That is the real problem.
https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/06/20/alaska-legislators-probe-states-conduct-with-federal-immigration-detainees/
“The number of people detained for non-criminal reasons has grown even faster than the rate of detentions overall: Before Trump took office, about 1 in 16 ICE detainees had no criminal charges or convictions. Now, the ratio is 1 in 4. ” Or in other words 15 of 16 are criminal then now 3 of 4 are criminal. What the ACLU and others did was say these 41 were “civil”, nobody, including the DOC Commissioner refuted this. It needs to be stated what crimes, since ICE is going after known criminals with criminal findings.
“She said that when the first ICE detainees arrived in Alaska, the department was told that they would be there for no more than 30 days. Since then, six of the original 41 detainees have left the state.” So now the number is 37 with a 30 day clock in play.
Also, I took notes of Gray’s opening statement as well as other comments. The following is my notes and conclusion at the end.
The 14th Amendment has no bearing on illegal aliens. The courts have ruled that due process is only for citizens, Illegal aliens are not citizens. Sadly other judges have come up with convoluted rulings.
Illegal aliens are illegal and thus are violating our laws thus committing a crime.
Yes we are a nation of immigrants, not Illegal Aliens.
Financial liabilities? You mean your buddies in ACLU whom sues anyone they don’t agree with and loose to SCOTUS many times!
As to lawyers. Commissioner answered that well.
As to consular access. That is up to ICE as well. What Gray infers is that the illegal alien detainees should be transported to the consular.
The question on handcuffs was inflammatory. This is a correction facility and these are under the rules of the prisons.
Re Grays comments. Lock down is a common occurrence. Inmates step outside the rules, they can be lock downed and or other use of force. Questions on OC spray was from hearsay!
Are these illegal aliens convicted or under investigation for criminal actions, like murder, rape, human trafficking etc.?
Bottom line I am getting out of this is we need a Federal Prison here in Alaska.
I love Adak for Federal Prison and detention facility. Any lawsuit would be federal.
This was a joke from the get go. The opening statement by Rep Gray was antagonistic to say the least. The Commissioner of DOC did a good job, but was unprepared as well, specifically the so called lock down and reason for that.
Lot of hearsay by Gray. As to the lawyers, fully expected in supporting there clients. The ACLU lawyer said this was civil immigration, yet per DHS, they are locking up for deportation murders, rapist, human traffickers, pedophiles. So, do I believe the ACLU, nope!
In conclusion. Governor Dunleavy needs to work with President Trump to get a Federal Prison here that could be used for illegal alien detention. Adak is a great place, no escaping from there. As to lawyers talking to their clients, telecommunication has come a long way. I would hope this is max security for the worse of the worse. So, I have no sympathy as to family or friends having a hard time and costly time to go to Adak. Does that make me a hardhearted SOB? Yes, I readily admit to that when it comes to people who should be taking a long drop on a short piece of rope!
I wanted to go to this but am at the end of my gas budget for the month, so I watched from Gavel to Gavel. Apparently a “large group” was there. If Suzanne knows, was this all pro-criminal illegal alien supporters or was there a conservative group?
Anchorage is overdue for another “Queers for Palestine” march…all the way to Gaza.
..and the ridiculous spending of Americans taxpayer money continues.
Try this. Google: “National Detention Standards for non-dedicated ICE facility.” You will see that the 2019 standards that I used are the result. This is the correct document — as initially brought to my attention by a Republican immigration attorney. To argue that the Anchorage Correctional Complex is a “dedicated ICE facility” is absurd — the 2025 document referenced by Ms. Downing is for dedicated ICE facilities. The vast majority of inmates in the Anchorage Correctional Complex are not ICE detainees, and ICE detainees are subject to different standards than the usual DOC incarcerated population.
The purpose of Friday’s hearing was to make sure that Alaska DOC is following the correct standards as set forth by the Trump administration. As I explained explicitly in my opening remarks: if you care about immigration, Democratic presidents have not been your friend. The numbers speak for themselves. And I will quote President Ronald Reagan’s statement on Immigration and Refugee policy from July 1981 (as I did in the hearing): “Our nation is a nation of immigrants. More than any other country, our strength comes from our own immigrant heritage and our capacity to welcome those from other lands.”
But again, this hearing was focused on the impact to ALASKANS. If Alaska DOC is not following President Trump’s standards for ICE detainment, who will be on the hook if there is litigation? The State of Alaska. We cannot afford to pay out expensive claims. We must make sure that Alaska DOC is abiding by the laws of this land as set forth by our Commander and Chief President Donald J. Trump.
If you doubt the sincerity of these comments, watch the Friday, June 20, 2025, House Judiciary Committee yourself: ‘https://www.ktoo.org/gavel/video/?clientID=2147483647&eventID=2025061008
the ACC was certified by ICE as a non-dedicated ICE facility.
There are legal immigrants and illegal aliens, period.
Will ACLU sue? Yep, that is what they do. Can they win, not in this case.
Yes Andrew I watched the entire thing!
Rep. Gray your insistence on using the 2019 document makes for a rather interesting question.
Why hold a hearing now?
It is my understanding that the state has had a longstanding ICE detention agreement and these are certainly NOT the first ICE detainees to be held here. I read that ICE arrests have increased 30% in Alaska since 2023. From what I could find, President Trump in his first term deported a little over 3 million, President Biden 4.6 million illegals presumably all detained under the 2019 rules you now insist are the only ones pertinent. You came into office in 2023, but apparently you were not concerned then that the state would somehow have a liability issue regarding ICE detainees.
The timing here seems politically motivated especially since you insist on using outdated standards. Had you made it your goal to check compliance with the newly instituted 2025 standards, a judiciary hearing would make some sense, but after 6 years of these rules being in force you NOW all of a sudden have “concerns” is frankly stretching credulity. Following your stated reason for the hearing of “potential liability”, inviting the ACLU to speak seems counterproductive, as this is the very organization earning their ‘bread & butter” by suing governmental entities.
“Our nation is a nation of immigrants. More than any other country, our strength comes from our own immigrant heritage and our capacity to welcome those from other lands.”
We are a nation of LEGAL Immigrants! It is disturbing that (via this quote) you lump lawbreakers in with a group of people, who have come or are trying to come to this country via the lawful way, by providing all needed documents, background checks, health exams, skills to support themselves and a sponsor. It is really an insult to equate these legal individuals with a group of persons who abuse the generosity of the American people without any intention to assimilate and contribute to the community or follow our laws.
Sir you insist that the 2019 National Detention Standard is the applicable document.
Yet upon further reading the 2019 NDS is a REVISION of the original document from the 2000. The 2025 version is also a revision and so supersedes the 2019 version. Dedicated facilities operated by ICE are NOT governed under that document but under a different standard -the Performance Based National Detention Standard-, which from my reading does not apply to our facilities. The revised 2025 version of the National Detention standard IS the current applicable version.
Your insistence that a 6 year old document is the ONLY applicable version seems confusing and asking the state to apply 2 set of rules.
I did google NDS as you suggested and the first post was ICE.gov 2019 NDS, yet right under the very same link you find the 2025 NDS which has edits of the 2019 document to comply with new executive orders.
So please why is one revision the “holy grail” and another “not applicable”?
Is this really the most pressing issue for your constituents, Andrew?
You were not elected to make sure people who don’t respect American law are ‘accommodated comfortably’. They became criminals the moment they crossed the line without papers and permission – they should neither expect legal protection nor a welcome mat, and certainly not from a State lawmaker! America treats people far better than other countries – I don’t buy your premise that there is a problem.
You represent a district in Anchorage, Alaska – NOT ILLEGALS from other countries. Secure Alaskans’ rights first and foremost! It appears you are drumming up a ‘problem’ that does not exist so you can claim ‘you care’ when you spend time and money the State doesn’t have and cannot afford on people WHO ARE NOT ALASKANS. You are welcome to advocate for non-Alaskans in an NGO on a mission, but NOT as a representative of an Alaska district. CHOOSE who you wish to spend your limited time supporting – US or them!?!
Yes, my constituents are grateful for the hearing. Protecting my constituents from the cost of litigation against the state is a legitimate concern. Saving the state money is important. I am choosing to look out for Alaskans as I made explicitly clear throughout the hearing on Friday. Did you watch any of it?
Again, you repeat the same lie. No Andrew, we know a lie is still a lie, no matter how many times you repeat it.
Any lawsuit will be federal, maybe state but that will loose since we are under contract with the federal government.
As to saving money, the money per person was stated, the cost per illegal alien to be held is the same cost for criminals being held.
Rep. Andrew Gray, you should be locked up as well. You sir are an insurrectionist and an enemy of the Constitution.
Gray is pain in the “____”