Democratic members of Congress from California and New York have reported being denied entry to federal immigration detention facilities over the weekend, as they sought to inspect conditions and check on individuals detained during immigration raids and related protests.
In Los Angeles, Representatives Maxine Waters, Jimmy Gomez and Norma Torres were all turned away from the Metropolitan Federal Detention Center. Gomez and Torres attempted to visit on Saturday, saying they wanted to investigate what they called “Ice’s inhumane detention of immigrant families”. Gomez alleged that officers used an irritant spray to push back the group, which he said consisted mainly of attorneys, lawmakers, journalists and organisers. Waters was denied access on Sunday, a video showing the door closed in her face as she sought to check on a union leader detained during the raids.
Elsewhere in California, Gilbert R Cisneros Jr, Judy Chu and Derek Tran said they were blocked from entering the Adelanto Ice processing centre on Sunday. Cisneros stated that guards “locked the gate, ignored our calls, and denied us entry”. In New York, Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velázquez were refused access to a Manhattan detention facility, where they had planned an unannounced visit. Espaillat said: “We will continue to come back until we are allowed to have access.”
The Department of Homeland Security defended the decisions, saying that in Los Angeles, more than 1,000 rioters had surrounded the building, and that lawmakers were turned away for their own safety. A DHS official added that the New York lawmakers had arrived unannounced during ongoing law enforcement operations, and that Ice had offered to arrange a tour at a later date to avoid disruption.
