U.S. Representative Dan Goldman Conducts Oversight of Facilities at 26 Federal Plaza, Vows to Return Weekly

 

 

 

NEW YORK, NY - Today U.S. Representative Dan Goldman (NY-10) visited the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities at 26 Federal Plaza to conduct his congressional oversight duties. He released a new video detailing his visit. 

 

“During my unannounced visit to the ICE detention facility at 26 Federal Plaza today, I saw detainees sleeping on thin mats under foil blankets and learned DHS is now reconsidering deportations of Venezuelans back to a lawless, chaotic regime,” said Rep. Goldman. “This is simply unacceptable. I’ll be returning weekly to conduct oversight and monitor conditions here.” 

 

The oversight visit marks the second time under the Trump Administration that Rep. Goldman has been allowed access to these facilities in order to exercise his lawful congressional duties of inspecting immigration detention facilities to ensure the safety of detained individuals and compliance with federal law. Rep. Goldman was previously denied access to the ICE facilities at 26 Federal Plaza and the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York Field Office at the same location. However, on December 17, a U.S. District Court ruled in favor of twelve members of Congress, including Rep. Goldman, who sued the Trump Administration in an effort to halt ICE’s policy of blocking Members of Congress from conducting unannounced oversight visits to ICE facilities, including field offices. The District Court’s opinion temporarily restored the Members’ lawful duties of inspecting immigration detention facilities to oversee compliance with federal law.

 

Federal law (Sec. 527, FY2024 DHS Appropriations Act) allows Members of Congress to visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sites where noncitizens are detained without having to provide prior notice. But over the course of this year, many Members of Congress have been stopped from their attempts to conduct oversight at these facilities. In response to questions about this, ICE officials announced a new policy requiring a seven-day waiting period and preventing entry to ICE field offices.

 

 

In December, Representatives Dan Goldman, Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Nydia Velazquez (NY-7) and House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (CA-42), introduced the Immigration Court Due Process Protection Act, new legislation that aims to protect immigrants who are pursuing lawful pathways to migrate to the United States and attending their court-ordered appearances from being targeted for arrests by the Trump Administration. The legislation would prohibit U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers or agents from arresting or detaining an individual that is physically present at an Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) immigration court facility for the purpose of attending or participating in a hearing, except pursuant to a judicial warrant. These protections would extend to individuals whose immigration case is still active and has not resulted in a final order of removal.