Congress members visit Whipple Federal Building: "I was shocked to see that everyone in here has leg restraints"
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been taking people they detain in Minnesota to the Whipple Federal Building for processing. On Friday, members of Congress were there for an oversight visit.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state made their way into the building midday, calling congressional oversight their duty.
"I was shocked to see that everyone in here has leg restraints. That is not common practice in holding facilities and detention centers. And apparently, that is the practice when you are picked up to when you are released," Jayapal said.
They did learn some information about detainees despite saying they had to sign paperwork, agreeing they wouldn't interact with them.
"In one of the cells we could see that it said, 'Laos, 15 people' or something like that. 'Mexico, 12 people,'" Omar said.
They said they were told roughly 300 people are detained across the state. About 38 from Whipple were being deported on Friday. They stopped talking when white vans left the area.
"So what you just saw were bands of people who are being taken to deportation flights," Jayapal said.
They say they arrived with many questions, adding some were met with frustration.
"Simple questions like, 'Are you going to change your processes and procedures from what you've learned from how your agents conducted themselves during Metro Surge that was not sustainable?'" Omar said.
Standing with the congresswomen pushing for answers, community leaders and advocates.
"Oversight protects constitutional rights. It protects transparency. It protects human dignity," Francisco Segovia with COPAL MN said.
The Department of Homeland Security told WCCO it's actively working on a statement regarding the claims. It did send WCCO the following statement before the oversight visit when asked about how many people are currently there and what the conditions are:
"This is a processing facility not a detention facility. Illegal aliens are quickly processed and transferred to permanent housing at a detention facility.
"Any claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE facilities are FALSE. All detainees are provided with proper meals, water, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers. All detainees receive full due process.
"Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE. ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.
"It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare than many aliens have received in their entire lives.
"Once an alien is transferred to ICE custody, the agency makes a custody determination based on bed space and ensures their presence for immigration proceedings or removal from the United States. All detainees have access to phones they can use to contact their families and lawyers. Additionally, family members, lawyers, and members of the media can easily locate individuals by using ICE's Online Detainee Locator System.
"Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."
