Congress Members Share Concerns Following Visit to LA Immigration Detention Center
Congress Member Visits Immigrant Detention Center Amid Concerns
Rep. Jimmy Gomez recently conducted a court-authorized oversight visit to a federal immigration detention facility in downtown Los Angeles following alarming reports about families, including infants, being held in a basement area known as B-17.
The visit, which included Rep. Norma Torres, confirmed the existence of B-17; however, neither lawmaker found any families present during their inspection. Both representatives raised concerns regarding detainee access, living conditions, and the inability to locate a pregnant woman allegedly detained by ICE.
Armed with a court order, Gomez, representing California’s 34th District, gained entry to the facility, which had come under scrutiny from attorneys and advocates citing the potential mistreatment of families. This visit takes place in the context of a recent federal court ruling prohibiting the previous administration from enforcing a policy that required advanced notice for entering detention centers.
Accompanied by Torres, Gomez noted that although B-17 contained "plastic chairs in a waiting room," it lacked essential amenities such as cribs or any indication that families could be housed there for extended periods. Despite confirming that women and children were separated from the general population, Gomez reported seeing no families during his visit and was prohibited from speaking with detainees, whose numbers were estimated to be around 20.
While news media were not granted access to the facility, families were observed outside attempting to connect with loved ones. One attorney from the Immigrants Defenders Law Center reported waiting for close to an hour to meet with a pregnant woman, who had notified her family of her detention but could not be located by officials, even with her identification number.
"This is especially concerning," Gomez remarked, expressing fears that individuals could impersonate ICE officials, exacerbating the already precarious situation for detainees. Torres committed to continuing the search for the missing woman.
In light of these issues, Gomez and Torres are urging immigrants to contact their offices and fill out DHS Privacy Waiver forms, which would permit them to assist in locating detainees. “It’s troubling that we have to resort to this,” Torres stated. “But this is the reality we face today.”
