‘What Are They Hiding?’: Congressmen Seek Access to ICE Holding Area at Manhattan Federal Building

The congressmen were denied entry to the building s th floor where they say immigrants detained after their court hearings part of the federal leadership s newest tactic to target undocumented people for deportation are being held sometimes for several nights at a time Congressmembers Goldman and Nadler outside Federal Plaza on Wednesday Photo by Goldman s office On Wednesday off the heels of the earlier arrest of mayoral candidate and City Comptroller Brad Lander at Federal Plaza as he attempted to escort movers without attorneys out of court Congressmen Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler observed court proceedings and attempted to enter the U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE s Enforcement and Removal Operations ERO New York Field Office at the same location Despite giving notice to ICE ahead of time that they would be present the congressmen were denied entry to the building s th floor where they say immigrants who ve been detained after their court hearings part of the Trump administration s latest tactic to target undocumented people for deportation are being forced to wait for days The lawmakers reiterated that the Appropriations Act of gives members of Congress the power to conduct oversight visits to facilities operated by or for the Department of Homeland Safety used to detain or otherwise house aliens Nadler noted ICE representatives claimed that the th floor of the federal building is not technically a detention center and so not subject to that same oversight In a video the lawmakers shared ICE Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce tells them the location is being used for detained people who are in transit and set to move to another location But Nadler countered that people are being held there for one or two nights or three nights and forced to sleep on the floor or on benches Why can t we go in What are they hiding If they re going to treat comptroller Lander if they re going to treat Senator Padilla if they re going to treat Congresswoman McIver the way that these agents have been treating them as if it s a police state out in the open in the masses how are they treating immigrants behind closed doors who have to sleep on floors for multiple nights reported Congressman Goldman referring to politicians both here and in other states who have been barred from entering immigration enforcement facilities Video shared by Congressman Dan Goldman s office of the two lawmakers confronting ICE Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce over access to the th floor of Federal Plaza where detained immigrants are being held Neither ICE or DHS press office returned City Limits request for comment on the lawmakers criticisms It is unacceptable that they denied our access and we will be continuing to push for access with the executives at the Department of Homeland Prevention because they are violating the law and we will not stop until we get to go in and observe what is going on in these detention centers with these non-criminal non-violent immigrants going through the process the correct way Goldman added The congressmen also sat in for two court hearings Goldman says the executive is dismissing cases so that it can expedite people s deportation We have to streamline the asylum system so that people who have legitimate indicates can get them adjudicated he explained after observing an asylum hearing be set for Goldman who is part of the House of Representatives Homeland Assurance Committee mentioned he plans to ask his Republican colleagues to make a joint request to inspect the facility On Friday the lawmakers sent a letter to DHS also signed by several other New York federal elected personnel demanding the agency grant Congress members oversight access to any facility where people are detained by or for DHS including field offices where immigrants kept overnight Your cooperation or lack thereof will determine whether the Department of Homeland Measure is committed to transparency and upholding the law with integrity or to secrecy and obstruction of congressional oversight the letter reads With additional reporting by Jeanmarie Evelly To reach the reporter behind this story contact VictoriaM citylimits org To reach the editor contact Jeanmarie citylimits org Want to republish this story Find City Limits reprint protocol here The post What Are They Hiding Congressmen Seek Access to ICE Holding Area at Manhattan Federal Building appeared first on City Limits