A dozen Democrat members of Congress sued the Trump administration on Wednesday over its effort to limit their access to detention centers housing illegal immigrants, accusing the White House of inhibiting lawmakers’ oversight responsibilities.
The lawsuit alleged the Trump administration had blocked attempts by Democrat lawmakers in states throughout the U.S. to enter Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers and sought to delay plans to visit and inspect such facilities.
The lawmakers argued in their complaint that the actions by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, violate a provision of federal law that guarantees members of Congress access to facilities holding those awaiting deportation.
“These illegal actions have harmed each Plaintiff’s right as an individual member of Congress to conduct oversight and obtain information about DHS facilities and the conditions of immigration detention,” the lawmakers said in their lawsuit, which was filed by lawyers from the groups Democracy Forward and American Oversight.
The complaint asked the federal district court in Washington, D.C., to require DHS to give members of Congress unfettered access to ICE holding facilities — even during unannounced visits — for the purposes of conducting congressional oversight.
Democrat lawmakers have repeatedly clashed witht he Trump administration regarding ICE detention centers. In Newark, New Jersey multiple lawmakers clashed with ICE officials when they attempted to storm a facility. (RELATED: Congresswoman Charged After Confrontation With ICE Agents At Newark Detention Facility)
U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) was charged with assaulting and obstructing federal officers during a May 9 visit to the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark.
According to officials, the incident escalated when McIver attempted to bypass ICE agents, leading to what Homeland Security sources and surveillance footage reportedly confirm was a physical altercation. The Department of Justice moved forward with charges, but critics noted the DOJ did so without first consulting its Public Integrity Section — raising questions among legal observers about whether political considerations played a role.
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