Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) pressed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Wednesday over congressional oversight rights and conditions at immigration detention facilities, accusing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of obstructing lawmakers and disregarding court orders.
During a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Crockett focused on whether the DHS had improperly required members of Congress to give advance notice before visiting detention centers.
Crockett pointed to a law passed by Congress that allows lawmakers to enter immigration detention facilities without prior notice as part of their oversight responsibilities. Crocket noted that she and Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX) were nevertheless told they needed to provide seven days’ notice before visiting the Dilley detention facility in Texas.
According to Crockett, officials at the facility told her the requirement came from the secretary.
Noem acknowledged the department had implemented a policy governing visits but said it was intended to ensure safety for those inside the facilities. Crockett repeatedly asked whether Noem personally ordered the seven-day notice requirement, but the secretary failed to give a direct yes-or-no answer, instead emphasizing the department’s responsibility for security.
Crockett stated the policy effectively blocked oversight and pointed to conditions she said she observed during her visit to the Dilley facility. “You have lost more lives in detention than anybody else,” Crockett told Noem.
Crockett Calls Out The Inhumane Conditions In ICE Detention Facilities
Crockett then pointed to a measles outbreak that was later reported at the facility and accused the department of failing to maintain safe conditions for detainees.
The Texas Democrat then raised the case of a child detainee, Liam Ramos, who had been held at the facility before a federal judge ordered his release. She cited the judge’s criticism of what he described as the government’s pursuit of daily deportation quotas, which the ruling said risked harming children.
Noem acknowledged she was aware of the case but said she disagreed with parts of the judge’s reasoning.
Crockett responded by questioning the legal credibility of the secretary, asking whether or not she has a law degree, before emphasizing that court rulings must be followed even when officials disagree with them. “That is what you follow. And if you have an issue, you appeal it up.”
Crockett concluded by reading excerpts from the judge’s opinion comparing the government’s actions to grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence, which she said the judge referenced while criticizing the administration’s immigration enforcement practices.
