Dozens Of Dems Urge Lawmakers to Visit ICE Facilities Regularly Amid Reports of Abuse

A new House resolution led by Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) calls on Members of Congress to regularly visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities amid growing concerns over inhumane conditions and alleged obstruction of congressional oversight.

The resolution, co-sponsored by 31 House Democrats, emphasizes Congress's statutory authority to conduct unannounced visits to ICE facilities. It responds to what Wilson described as a "void in oversight" created by the Trump administration's elimination of internal watchdog offices and its aggressive immigration enforcement policies.

"Congress has an essential role in exercising oversight over immigration policies and practices, ensuring they align with the rule of law and uphold the highest standards of human rights," the resolution states, further noting that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of all detainees, regardless of immigration status.

Wilson goes on to argue that conditions inside ICE centers require closer scrutiny:

"Congressional visits to ICE detention facilities can shine a light on the urgent need for better oversight, accountability, and reforms in the treatment of detainees"

The resolution references the Trump administration's termination of multiple oversight offices, including the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. These closures, lawmakers say, have weakened institutional safeguards.

Recent events illustrate why Democrats are taking this initiative. On June 7, Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) and several colleagues were denied access to a detention center inside the Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles, as the LA Times reported. Torres later said she required emergency room treatment after chemical agents were used outside the facility, despite her claim that the protest was peaceful.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), who accompanied Torres, has made repeated attempts to gain entry to the same facility, only to be turned away. "Denying members of Congress access to facilities is a direct assault on our system of checks and balances," said James Townsend, director of the Levin Center at Wayne State University to the LA Times.

Under current law, specifically the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, DHS is barred from preventing members of Congress from entering detention facilities for oversight purposes or modifying the conditions ahead of visits. The resolution asserts that regular, unannounced inspections are essential to ensuring compliance and humane treatment.