LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT FOLLOWING DELANEY HALL OVERSIGHT VISIT

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement after conducting an oversight visit this morning at ICE's Delaney Hall detention facility alongside New Jersey Reps. Rob Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Josh Gottheimer.

The conditions of confinement we witnessed firsthand and discussed with approximately two dozen detainees at the Delaney Hall detention center shock the conscience. Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just and humane. The Trump administration is doing the exact opposite.

At Delaney Hall, we learned of unsanitary living conditions, lack of adequate medical care and unhealthy food. This is not America.

Donald Trump and his extreme administration promised to target violent felons who are in the country unlawfully. They lied. The violent Trump mass deportation machine has targeted American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families, including the minors, parents and pregnant women who have been detained at Delaney Hall.

Not a single detainee that I spoke with during an oversight visit that lasted more than an hour falls into the category of the worst of the worst. They were law-abiding members of their community, including several tax-paying small business owners and an 18-year old DREAMer who was ripped away from her family just months from her high school graduation. The situation is unacceptable. Delaney Hall must be shut down immediately.

Donald Trump and House Republicans are rushing to give ICE tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to fund their violent mass deportation machine, but will not spend a dime to make life more affordable for the American people. House Democrats will continue to oppose the reckless Republican budget and fight to dramatically reform an ICE agency that is out of control.

We will continue to aggressively conduct congressional oversight visits to make sure that everyone is being treated with dignity and humanity. House Democrats will make sure that any Trump administration official or private contractor breaking the law is held accountable.

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