1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The Department of Homeland Security's new guidance requiring 72 hours' notice for lawmakers to visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities is an unacceptable infringement on Congressional oversight authority. This policy contradicts the annual appropriations act that explicitly allows members of Congress to enter any DHS facility housing immigrants without prior notice as part of their constitutional oversight duties. Attempting to differentiate ICE field offices from detention facilities is a disingenuous attempt to circumvent this law. This new policy comes amid escalating tensions between Democratic lawmakers and law enforcement over opposition to the administration's cruel immigration crackdown. Members of Congress have faced obstruction, arrests, and use of force simply for attempting to inspect ICE operations and protest inhumane policies. From Rep. LaMonica McIver's indictment for trying to visit a New Jersey facility to Sen. Alex Padilla being forcibly removed from a news conference, these actions are an affront to democracy and government transparency. Requiring advance notice undermines the ability of Congress to conduct meaningful, unannounced oversight over an agency recently plagued by reports of horrific conditions and human rights abuses in its detention centers. This policy serves only to insulate ICE from public scrutiny and accountability. In the interests of government openness and humane immigration enforcement, I urge you to condemn this unlawful Department of Homeland Security guidance and ensure lawmakers can visit any DHS immigration facility unimpeded.