House Democrats Are Calling On DHS To Investigate a New York City ICE Facility

Lawmakers have attempted to conduct multiple oversight visits at 26 Federal Plaza but have been denied.

Adriano Espaillat
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP

New York Democratic Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Adriano Espaillat are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to investigate a New York City facility that’s become pivotal in the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has received increased public scrutiny in recent weeks over its treatment of immigrants who are detained at 26 Federal Plaza. In video footage and a voice memo published this week by The City, a person who was held in the tenth floor facility said they did not receive food or medicine, and added in Spanish that authorities are treating detainees “like dogs.”

“The use of 26 Federal Plaza as a detention center, without proper transparency, oversight, or compliance with DHS regulations, is unacceptable and must be addressed with urgency,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter this week to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.