EL PASO, Texas — Just days after a federal judge ruled that members of Congress may conduct unannounced visits to immigration detention facilities, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, says she has already conducted a surprise inspection at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in El Paso.
Escobar confirmed she conducted an unannounced visit to the East Montana ICE Detention Camp at Fort Bliss. The visit comes shortly after a temporary court ruling that blocked a Trump administration policy restricting surprise congressional oversight visits. The decision followed a lawsuit filed by several lawmakers challenging the limitations.
According to Escobar, her visit was prompted by information her office received earlier this month regarding the death of a detainee at the facility. She said ICE notified members of Congress several days after the death occurred.
Camp East Montana currently houses over 3,000 detainees from various parts of the country and was originally built as a temporary detention site, Escobar said.
Following the court ruling, Escobar posted a video on social media emphasizing the importance of congressional oversight.
“Earlier this week, we prevailed in court because they were violating the law by not allowing members of Congress to perform our oversight function at ICE detention facilities,” Escobar said in the video posted to her Facebook page.
In a statement and a letter sent to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE leadership, Escobar outlined concerns she says have been raised during previous visits. Those concerns include access to medical care, food services, hygiene supplies and staffing levels at the facility.
She also referenced the recent court decision that temporarily halted a policy limiting unannounced congressional visits.
“I am glad to report that this morning I conducted an unannounced visit to the ICE detention facility in my district, Camp East Montana,” she said.
ICE has not publicly responded to Escobar’s most recent letter. Escobar says she plans to continue conducting oversight visits and requesting additional information from federal agencies.