Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson Demand Access to South Loop ICE Facility to Perform Oversight After Being Turned Away
CHICAGO, IL – Just days after their attempt to conduct oversight at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the South Loop of Chicago was denied, Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Jonathan Jackson (D-IL) have sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding immediate access to the facility and full transparency around recent detentions and conditions inside.
“We were denied the ability to perform congressional oversight – as is our duty as members of the United States House of Representatives,” the lawmakers wrote. “During the visit to this facility, the ICE officer who refused to identify himself called the Chicago Police Department to evict us for ‘trespassing.’”
The visit by Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson came after disturbing reports that on June 4, ICE officials detained at least 10 individuals after sending them text messages instructing them to appear at the facility for a “routine appointment.”
“It is unclear exactly how many people were taken, where they were taken to, and if they were given access to counsel,” the lawmakers wrote of the incident. “We were denied those answers.”
The congressmen emphasized the urgency of their request amid a broader immigration crackdown. Last week, President Donald Trump announced he was instructing ICE to target Democratic cities, including Chicago, as part of the “single largest mass deportation program in history.”
“The President’s politically motivated actions are deeply troubling, particularly for communities like ours in Illinois that have already seen intensified enforcement activity in recent weeks,” Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson wrote.
The letter concludes with an urgent call to action by Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson: “Given the serious and potentially illegal nature of the activity in these reports, we request that the Department of Homeland Security allow Members of Congress to access the South Loop facility for the purpose of investigating their activity further. Please issue a response by Friday, June 27.”
The full letter is available here.