Maryland congressional lawmakers, including U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, and U.S. Reps. Glenn Ivey, Johnny Olzewski Jr., Sarah Elfreth and Kweisi Mfume, staged a sit-in at a Baltimore ICE office on Monday. (Rep. Rep. Johnny Olszewski ; X)
American Oversight, one of the law firms representing the members of Congress, said in a Wednesday statement that "at a time when ICE is detaining more individuals than ever before—over 56,000 people—and reports of mistreatment, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and the detention of U.S. citizens are growing, the need for real-time, on-the-ground oversight has never been more urgent."
Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., said in the statement that "blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law—and the Trump administration knows it."
In response, DHS Assistant Secretary for Communications Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that "these Members of Congress could have just scheduled a tour; instead, they’re running to court to drive clicks and fundraising emails."
McLaughlin cited concerns over assaults against ICE officers surging by 830 percent.
Left: Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Right: ICE agents (DHS and ICE)
The congressman also shared a letter he and Elfreth sent to Noem on July 23 in which the two requested the immediate release of Daniel Fuentes Espinal, a Honduran immigrant and pastor they claimed was wrongfully arrested by ICE.
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Plaintiffs in the suit include Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Garcia.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs-mocks-democrats-running-court-after-demanding-access-baltimore-ice-facility