Colorado Congressmen Joe Neguse, Jason Crow part of lawsuit against Trump administration over ICE facility access

Colorado Congressmen Joe Neguse and Jason Crow are among a dozen Democratic members of Congress filing a lawsuit against President Trump's administration, claiming a new policy is obstructing congressional oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.

The lawsuit claims that the administration is preventing members of Congress from accessing information and conducting visits to ensure the Department of Homeland Security is complying with federal law. They say this policy includes a seven-day waiting period and restrictions on visiting detention sites, which violates a federal law allowing them access without prior notice.

On July 20, Crow, who represents Colorado's 6th Congressional District, said he was denied entry into the ICE detention facility in Aurora.

The complaint says, "As part of its campaign of mass deportation, the Trump-Vance administration has stretched the U.S. immigration detention system far beyond its capacity. More people are being held by the United States in immigration detention than ever before, with many facilities housing more individuals than they were built to contain." Representatives cited many concerns as the reason for needed oversight, including overcrowding, sanitation, lack of medical care, mistreatment and lack of access to counsel.

In two statements released after Crow's visit, ICE said requests need to be made with enough advanced notice to prevent interference in the President's Article II authority to oversee executive department functions. They suggested that a week would be enough notice and that the security protocols were for the safety of the staff and detainees.

"Blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law—and the Trump administration knows it," said Neguse, the U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader who represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District. "Such blatant disregard for both the law and the constitutional order by the Trump administration warrants a serious and decisive response, which is why I'm proud to lead the lawsuit we proceeded with earlier today."

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, demands that the administration comply with the law. Neguse is one of a dozen representatives who are part of the lawsuit who argue that blocking Congress hinders accountability and threatens democracy.

"Today, I filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after they illegally denied me access into a federal immigration detention facility," said Crow. "Oversight is a fundamental responsibility of Congress. Under law, Members of Congress have the right to do unannounced oversight visits of federal immigration detention facilities. Since President Trump was elected, this administration has denied Members of Congress access to immigration detention facilities and tried to intimidate us from doing our jobs. I will not be deterred from conducting lawful oversight, and I'll continue fighting to hold the administration accountable, including in Congress and the courts."

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released the following statement about the lawsuit:

"These Members of Congress could have just scheduled a tour; instead, they're running to court to drive clicks and fundraising emails.

"Here are the facts. As ICE law enforcement have seen a surge in assaults, disruptions, and obstructions to enforcement - including by Member of Congress themselves - any requests to tour processing centers and field offices must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security. These requests must be part of legitimate congressional oversight activities. ICE officers have seen an 830% surge in assaults.

"As for visits to detention facilities, requests should be made with sufficient time to prevent interference with the President's Article II authority to oversee executive department functions-a week is sufficient to ensure no intrusion on the President's constitutional authority. To protect the President's Article II authority, any request to shorten that time must be approved by the Secretary."