US Representative, Joaquin Castro, has announced plans for a new bill that will force immigrant detention centers to allow federal lawmakers to visit such facilities following an incident where an Oregon Senator was refused entry to Brownsville detention center. At a news conference on Tuesday, Castro told reporters that vulnerable individuals, including minors, are housed in such facilities, making it vital for those overseeing the functioning of government agencies, such as members of Congress, to inspect them.
On Sunday, Senator Jeff Merkley intended to see undocumented immigrant minors currently held in the Brownsville detention center, only to be ordered from the property by center officials who even called the police to ensure his cooperation.
Merkley slammed the move, calling it ‘unacceptable’ for the center to be able to ban members of Congress from visiting them. Earlier on Sunday, the Senator had been to a Border Patrol processing station in McAllen, to visit undocumented immigrant minors, and to the Sacred Heart Church Humanitarian Respite Center, visiting asylum seekers. One of the Senator’s staff also told reporters that prior attempts for permission to visit the facility had been repeatedly rejected.
The White House has slammed Merkley, accusing him of spreading lies about immigration enforcement operations and arguing that his policies put children at risk while allowing violent criminals into the US. Castro and several other Democrats have criticized the ‘zero tolerance’ policy enacted by President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions that separates immigrant families when they illegally cross the border.