The Donald Trump administration’s aggressive immigration push has hit another legal roadblock that they’re trying to find inventive ways to maneuver.
After run-ins with various lawmakers, the Kristi Noem-led Department of Homeland Security is now asking lawmakers to give at least a 72-hour notice before visiting ICE detention centers. The more the horrors of the deportation tactics have come to light, the more lawmakers have been taking to the frontlines to get a clearer picture of exactly what is going on in the ICE detention centers.
And it’s not just Democrats — it’s both sides of the aisle. Up until now, the specific law that lawmakers have been using to access and inspect these centers has been the Appropriations Act. CNN reports that the Act grants lawmakers access to DHS facilities used to detain aliens and inspect them as part of their oversight duties.
But in a new memo released by ICE, that’s reportedly about to change. The memo argues that they don’t define where they hold suspected aliens as “detention centers” but rather see them as “ICE field offices.” The Trump administration has come to the new conclusion that this, therefore, holds these “field offices” beyond the purview of the Appropriations Act. This, coupled with their assault on habeas corpus, has understandably made lawmakers increasingly worried.
The Trump administration has already made it abundantly clear that they’re not above also arresting lawmakers when they stand in their way. And it has not been any different with the lawmakers who have been utilizing the Appropriations Act.
Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was recently indicted on charges that she interfered with immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was also arrested for trying to enter the same facility. New York City politician Brad Lander also experienced the same fate when he tried escorting a migrant at the Manhattan immigration court. And that’s not even mentioning the moment with Sen. Alex Padilla that was captured on a news camera.
All of these are results of Trump’s directive that he must have the largest mass deportation program in history. As he chases this world record, his administration is clearly looking for shortcuts. But some lawmakers are taking a stand — Rep. Bennie Thompson released a statement saying, “This unlawful policy is a smokescreen to deny Member visits to ICE offices across the country, which are holding migrants – and sometimes even U.S. citizens – for days at a time. They are therefore detention facilities and are subject to oversight and inspection at any time. DHS pretending otherwise is simply their latest lie.”
DHS still hasn’t issued any official response to all the complaints about their new directive. But it’s rather unlikely that the lawmakers are gonna just take this lying down. As has been apparent lately, especially through the No Kings protests across the nation, there is a very strong push back toward some of Trump’s directives — especially the ones that attempt to circumvent the law — and Democrat lawmakers are bearing the brunt from their voters, who keep asking them to put up a stronger resistance.
