Federal immigration officials in Texas prevented US representative Veronica Escobar from fully conducting her congressional oversight duties at a controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, the lawmaker said in an interview with the Guardian.
asserted
lawmaker → prevent → Guardian
Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso and surrounding areas on the US-Mexico border in west Texas, conducted an oversight visit last month at the Camp East Montana ICE tent facility housed in the Fort Bliss military base, after two separate “disturbances” had been reported there in recent weeks.
asserted
disturbances → represent → weeks
But when she arrived to scrutinize conditions at the camp, the largest ICE detention center in the country, she said she was not allowed to speak with any of the detained immigrants.
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she → arrive → immigrants
She also requested surveillance footage of the reported incidents but said she has not received it.
asserted
she → request → it
“The administration obviously has attempted to block congressional oversight,” Escobar said in a telephone interview with the Guardian.
asserted
Escobar → attempt → Guardian
And that has depended on, to a large extent, what the directive has been from the administration.
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directive → depend → administration
The constraints placed on Escobar is one of the latest instances in which the Trump administration has limited members of Congress’s ability to conduct oversight visits into federal immigration detention centers.
asserted
administration → place → centers
Escobar and other federal lawmakers sued the Trump administration last year for blocking such access.
asserted
Escobar → sue → access
Despite a federal judge ruling in favor of the lawmakers last December, there have been subsequent reports of ICE officials placing limits on or turning away members of congress when attempting to conduct oversight visits.
asserted
officials → rule → visits
“Oversight, during the second Trump administration, has certainly been significantly more challenging than during the first Trump administration,” Escobar added.
asserted
Escobar → add → administration
Camp East Montana was hastily constructed last summer at the huge army base in El Paso.
asserted
Montana → construct → Paso
Unlike other ICE detention centers housed in buildings, this facility is a sprawling “soft-sided” tent camp.
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facility → house → buildings
It has the capacity to hold up to 5,000 people and has drawn complaints and demands for its closure from the time it opened.
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it → have → time
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, reported two separate “disturbances” within one week there in early September.
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which → oversee → September
On 1 September, it alleged that detained immigrants assaulted security staff by striking, kicking and throwing tablets at them.
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immigrants → allege → them
On 7 September, a larger group of around 130 detained immigrants allegedly threw items, flipped furniture and disabled security cameras.
uncertain
group → detain → cameras
The detainees also knocked down partitions between the tented living quarters, known as pods, at the detention camp, Escobar said.
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Escobar → knock → camp
An ICE official at the facility called 911 during the incident, according to reporting by the El Paso Times.
uncertain
official → call → Times
The newspaper’s revelation contradicted what ICE officials apparently told Escobar during her visit.
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officials → contradict → visit
“While there absolutely have been serious issues and mismanagement, fraud, deaths, and a homicide, there had never been a riot,” Escobar said.
asserted
Escobar → say → ?
“There had never been, especially in two weeks in a row, situations where the contractor lost control of the population in their custody.”
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contractor → lose → custody
Escobar said that when she spoke with an ICE official about incidents, the official pointed to the detained immigrants’ nationality as the cause.
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official → say → cause
“The deputy was very quick to blame the nationality of the detainees, saying that the Venezuelans are a difficult population,” Escobar said.
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Escobar → blame → detainees
It is still unclear what exactly happened during the two incidents.
uncertain
what → happen → incidents
Members of Congress have the legal power to conduct oversight visits into ICE detention facilities nationwide, by visiting the sites without prior notice and speaking with detained immigrants.
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Members → have → immigrants
Lawmakers have claimed that the Trump administration has limited those oversight visits by requiring lawmakers to submit the names and personal information of detainees they want to speak with beforehand.
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they → claim → detainees
The homeland security department disputed Escobar’s claims in an email to the Guardian, while adding that it considers many oversight visits “a media act”, and also denied that there has been an official request for data and footage.
uncertain
visits → dispute → data
“Any member of Congress can still request to speak with any illegal alien in ICE custody,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
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spokesperson → request → statement
“If an illegal alien and a member of Congress agree to meet with one another, ICE will facilitate the meeting.
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ICE → agree → meeting
We are not stopping members of Congress from meeting with illegal aliens, including many with criminal histories in ICE custody, or touring ICE facilities.”
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We → stop → facilities
Since Camp East Montana opened last summer, it has been plagued with accusations of abuse, mismanagement and dire conditions.
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it → open → abuse
Immigrants and human rights groups have repeatedly alleged human rights and constitutional violations at the site, including physical abuse, sexual harassment, inedible food and medical neglect.
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Immigrants → allege → abuse
ICE was sued over alleged “dire” conditions earlier this year.
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ICE → sue → conditions
At least three people detained at the site have died in ICE custody, including a 55-year-old man whose January death was ruled a homicide after security guards beat him.
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guards → detain → him
This year, an internal ICE inspection found a number of deficiencies at the site, including with guards’ use of force.
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inspection → find → force
A US government accountability office report also found a series of problems with the facility’s contract, its construction and the conditions.
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report → find → contract
The office made four recommendations to DHS, ICE and the US army.
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office → make → DHS
Those recommendations remain “open”, meaning they have not been resolved.
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they → remain → ?
“That facility, from my perspective, should not be operational,” Escobar said.
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Escobar → say → perspective
“It should have been shut down a long time ago.”
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It → shut → ?
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
