Federal Representatives Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), and Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) returned to the ICE Processing Center at Broadview, Illinois for an oversight visit.  A federal court confirmed on December 17 that the Trump Administration cannot block Members of Congress from conducting oversight at immigration detention facilities. “We are responding to the needs of our constituents who have called our offices, and they don’t know what happens to their relatives when they are in this detention center,” said Congressman Davis, who represents the district where the Broadview ICE processing center is located. “The court said we are the representatives of the people and that’s why we are here. Our role is to serve and protect the people of our district and that’s what I’ve done all my life and I’m not going to stop now.”

The Representatives were joined at a press conference by Erendira Rendon, Vice President for Immigrant Justice at The Resurrection Project (TRP) and Artemio Arreola, Political Director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). The inspection by the Members of Congress confirmed what they have been hearing from advocates about the center — four detention cells, insufficient sanitary services, no privacy, no medical and mental health services, a place that was not created to keep people overnight. “We will continue working with these representatives and their colleagues to reunite families. Immigrant communities are demanding real solutions and accountability. ICIRR and our partners will continue to demand accountability and transparency,” said Artemio Arreola, Political Director for ICIRR. “We will continue to demand an end to ICE’s violence, regardless of who is in office. We demand an end to detention, an end to raids, and an end to deportations.”