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119th CONGRESS
1st Session |
Encouraging Members of Congress to visit ICE detention facilities in their States.
Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mrs. McIver, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Gomez, Ms. Velázquez, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Soto, Ms. Sánchez, Ms. Barragán, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Brown, Mr. Fields, Mr. Carson, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Pettersen, and Mr. Davis of Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
Encouraging Members of Congress to visit ICE detention facilities in their States.
Whereas the foundation of the United States of America lies in the pursuit of freedom, security, and opportunity for all people, regardless of their immigration status;
Whereas 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;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security has a responsibility to protect the human rights, civil rights, and civil liberties of all detainees in all Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, regardless of their immigration status;
Whereas President Trump fired thousands of Federal workers across different Federal agencies, which includes many within the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General and this has led to diminished oversight capacity and increased operational challenges;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security closed the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, which formerly employed nearly 100 staff members tasked with overseeing immigration detention policies to ensure the safety and humane treatment of detainees;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security closed the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which formerly employed more than 150 staff members responsible for investigating civil rights and civil liberties complaints across the department, including in detention centers;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security has shut down the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, which formerly employed more than 40 staff members;
Whereas, by terminating these employees, the Department of Homeland Security has abdicated its internal oversight responsibilities;
Whereas the courts permitting President Trump to utilize the Alien Enemies Act further departs from our Nation’s historic treatment of immigrants;
Whereas because Congress recently passed the Laken Riley Act, it is anticipated that these facilities will encounter a substantial increase in detainees, leading to overcrowding and other inhumane conditions;
Whereas, on May 9, 2025, President Trump directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to deputize no less than 20,000 officers from local, State, and other agencies for immigration enforcement activities without any commitment to addressing detainees’ rights and treatment;
Whereas this culmination of firings of oversight professionals and the deputizing of detention professionals has created a void in which Members of Congress must provide oversight;
Whereas Members of Congress have explicit statutory authority to go to ICE facilities unannounced;
Whereas the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (Public Law 118–47) explicitly states in section 527 that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Homeland Security may be used to prevent any of the following persons from entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens, or to make any temporary modification at any such facility that in any way alters what is observed by a visiting Member of Congress or such designated employee, compared to what would be observed in the absence of such modification—
(1) a Member of Congress; or
(2) an employee of the House of Representatives or the Senate designated by such a Member for the purposes of this section;
Whereas nothing may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility for the purpose of conducting oversight;
Whereas unannounced visits are the only practical way to ensure that Department of Homeland Security employees and contractors do not alter the facilities before Members of Congress visit;
Whereas congressional visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities can shine a light on the urgent need for better oversight, accountability, and reforms in the treatment of detainees;
Whereas the administration’s current practices demonstrate a departure from the declared commitment by the United States to maintaining humane immigration policies and risk further entrenching systemic injustice;
Whereas on congressional visits, Members of Congress saw many more hardworking immigrants being detained than those charged with a crime;
Whereas recent accounts of various Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities reveal alarmingly inhumane conditions, including overcrowding, detainees forced to sleep on cement floors, and inadequate medical staff;
Whereas these conditions stem from the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown; and
Whereas the ethical treatment of detainees not only reflects the values of compassion and justice embodied in American history, but also directly affects the safety and welfare of broader communities: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives encourages all Members of Congress to visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities in their States to gain insight into detainee conditions, and to exercise their oversight duty by taking steps to address and reform inhumane practices.