A group of Democratic lawmakers is demanding answers from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her agency of hiding disturbing conditions at a federal immigration facility in New York City.
In a letter sent Friday, nine members of Congress from New York say Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has blocked them from entering the ICE field office at 26 Federal Plaza, where they believe migrants are being held for days under harsh, possibly illegal conditions.
“DHS’s refusal to allow members of Congress to observe the conditions for immigrants behind closed doors begs the obvious question: What are you hiding?” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter is also addressed to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons and cites “continued obstruction of lawful congressional oversight visits.” Lawmakers say this is a clear violation of federal law, which allows members of Congress to inspect facilities where immigrants are being held.
The same ICE office has drawn national attention in recent days. On Tuesday, New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested outside the building by federal agents while protesting. He was released hours later.
The letter was signed by Reps. Dan Goldman, Jerrold Nadler, Adriano Espaillat, Nydia Velázquez, Ritchie Torres, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Grace Meng, Gregory Meeks, and Yvette Clarke.
Though ICE claims the office is not used to house people overnight, lawmakers—and recent reporting—say otherwise.
According to The New York Times, the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza is supposed to be a short-term processing area. But one immigrant who was held there said he saw hundreds of migrants sleeping on the floor.
ICE Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce reportedly admitted that some people have been held in the building for multiple days, during a brief interaction with Reps. Goldman and Nadler earlier this week—right before they were denied access to the facility.
Earlier this month, Reps. Espaillat and Velázquez were also blocked from entering.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security recently issued new guidance that limits lawmakers’ access to ICE facilities. The new rules demand 72 hours’ notice for visits—up from the previous 24—and claim that ICE field offices like the one in Manhattan don’t fall under the same legal requirements for congressional oversight.
Lawmakers strongly rejected that claim.
“In any rational interpretation, the law gives us access not only to detention centers, but to any immigration enforcement facility housing detainees—no matter what ICE chooses to call the facility,” Espaillat wrote in response to the new rules.
DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin defended the agency’s position in a statement to the Times, saying: “These congressional members do not have the authority to disrupt ongoing law enforcement activities and sensitive law enforcement materials.”
But the lawmakers say that excuse doesn’t hold up—especially when immigrants are being held out of public view, without proper oversight.
In their letter, the members of Congress demanded that DHS: Rescind guidance that exempts ICE field offices from oversight, reaffirm Congress’s right to conduct unannounced visits, and order ICE personnel to comply with federal law and allow access to any facility holding immigrants.
