Jayapal Conducts Oversight at Northwest Detention Center
TACOMA, WA — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Committee, released the following statement after being forced to wait for hours and initially denied access to speak with detained people at the Northwest ICE Processing Center, despite giving eight days’ notice of her intent to conduct an oversight visit and securing privacy release forms for specific detained people.
“Today, despite giving eight days’ notice of my visit to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, I was denied the ability to meet with detained people—either on the general population floor or even with those for whom I had obtained privacy release forms. In addition, when I said that I didn’t need the detention facility tour since I had been there many times, but instead wanted to run through a list of questions with the top staff who were there, I was told that I was only approved for a ‘tour’ not for a ‘meeting’. After hours of waiting and going on a ‘tour’ simply so I could ask my questions and get very few answers, I then refused to leave until I could meet with one of the individuals for whom I had a privacy waiver for and whose attorney was there waiting for me to meet with them. I was finally told I could speak with him as part of the public visitation rather than in a private attorney room, as I’ve done in the past as a Member of Congress. I had a heartbreaking visit with this individual, who is the sole caregiver for his 8-year-old U.S. citizen daughter and has serious medical issues himself. He has been hospitalized in the emergency room three times since being detained on January 11, and is still experiencing serious pain and medical issues for his condition which are not yet resolved.
“While we waited, we also spoke to a number of attorneys who were visiting their clients. We heard that they often are made to wait 4 or 5 hours to see their clients; that there are only 7 attorney rooms for its current population of about 1,300 detainees and even then the attorneys are made to wait even when the rooms are empty; and we heard numerous complaints of inadequate medical treatment, overcrowding, and inedible food.
“I am simply outraged that Kristi Noem’s DHS continues to try and block me and other Members of Congress from speaking with detained people and conducting meaningful oversight. This only makes me more certain that DHS and these private for-profit contractors have a lot to hide as they incarcerate around 70,000 people every single night. Since Trump came into office, ICE has reported that 38 people have died in ICE custody. This is unacceptable. On top of that, ICE’s own statistics are that 85 percent of people incarcerated in these for-profit facilities have committed no crime.
“I will continue to come back, continue to insist on performing my official responsibilities and fight like hell to get real oversight and to put an end to this abusive behavior.”
Jayapal demanded answers from Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons about conditions at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in December.
Issues: Immigration