Rep. Escobar Denied Access to El Paso ICE Facility Amid Human Rights Allegations

U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar was unlawfully denied entry to the ICE detention facility on Montana Avenue in El Paso despite providing 24 hours' notice, which she states is more than legally required for congressional oversight visits. Escobar emphasized that federal law grants members of Congress the right to inspect ICE facilities and criticized the Trump administration for imposing stricter visitation requirements, including a 72-hour notice policy from the Department of Homeland Security that she says is being used to obstruct oversight. The denial came amid reports of mistreatment and inhumane conditions at the facility, highlighted in a May 2025 Amnesty International report detailing numerous human rights violations. Escobar has a history of conducting such oversight visits, including a recent tour of another local ICE facility without issues. She condemned the administration's attempts to hide federally funded facilities from congressional scrutiny, calling it a violation of law and a contradiction to promises of transparency and law and order. Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem criticized previous visits by Democratic lawmakers as political stunts but confirmed eventual access was granted in those cases.