Delaney Hall, New Jersey’s largest immigration detention center on the East Coast, was the sight of a May demonstration of the Trump administration’s immigration policy. (Photo by New Jersey Monitor)

WASHINGTON – Members of the Congress’ Hispanic Caucus pledged Thursday to visit immigration detention centers around the country to oversee Trump’s crackdown.

Members detailed visits to various detention centres over last week’s break. Many people they visited at those centres were either arrested or had no criminal history while attending their court hearings, they said.

“What we and our colleagues have witnessed is a system that is used to punish people simply because they are immigrants, and we all know that cruelty is the key to this president,” said New York Democrat Nydia Velazquez.

If Congressional Republicans succeed in passing a massive tax and expenditure bill that would increase billions of immigration enforcement funds, including detention centers, all-democratic caucus members said ongoing oversight of immigration detention centers would only be more important.

Republicans I’m moving forward There is a legislative process known as a settlement to meet President Donald Trump’s priorities without requiring 60 votes in the US Senate.

The pledge to continue monitoring at the detention center comes after three Congressional Democrats said they were accused by US immigration and customs enforcement officers at a detention center in New Jersey last month. That incident ended Newark mayor Las Baraka has been arrestedand Senator Lamonica Mciver. Faced with federal fees. The charges against Baraka were dismissed about two weeks later.

“We will not succumb to blackmail tactics,” said New York CHC Chairman Adriano Espaillat. “We will continue to comply with our obligation to oversee these detention centers and visit them within the parameters of the law.”

Members of Congress are permitted to conduct surveillance visits at Department of Homeland Security facilities detaining immigrants without prior notice, under the provisions of the Revenue Code.

Collateral arrest

Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, former chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has denounced the Trump administration’s expansion of government contracts with private prison companies to detain immigrants.

“It is very important for Congress members to continue to investigate what appears to be civil detention centres, but instead operate as a private, commercial prison with substandard health care, and they will make billions of dollars from this administration that holds all legal status,” Jayapal said.

New Jersey detention centers reopened this year, with ICE awarded Geo Group Inc. There is a billion dollar contract to operate the facility.

During a break, Jayapal made a surveillance visit at the Northwest Ice Processing Center, Washington, Washington, previously known as the Northwest Detention Center, where several of the detainees were caught in an immigration enforcement raid targeting others. Such immigrant arrests are known as collateral arrests.

She said one woman who spoke to who was detained had been in the country for over 20 years but had no permanent legal status.

“She was caught up in a workplace attack and was taken into custody within a week before marrying a US citizen,” Jayapal said.

She said another person she spoke to was a man who has been in the United States for 31 years and is a permanent legal resident.

“These are not the so-called worst that Trump said he was going to drive away,” Jayapal said. “These are people who love this country, have been in this country for decades, who have married American citizens and have American citizens, who don’t understand why the country they love is doing this to them.”

A California Democrat said he came across immigrants at a detention center where he was arrested while attending a court hearing.

“These individuals are following the law, appearing at court hearings, and they are dismissing the removal case,” he said. “As soon as they leave that court, they are re-registered and put into what is called a rapid removal process… they are quick to get them out of the country.”