Trump administration puts new limits on Congress visits to immigration centres

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Homeland Security has put new restrictions on visits by members of Congress to immigration enforcement field offices after several episodes where Democratic lawmakers have been refused access or even arrested.

The new guidelines, dated this month, also say Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a DHS agency, has sole discretion over whether to deny or cancel a tour of an ICE detention centre by a member of Congress.

Senators and representatives in Congress have oversight of agencies in the executive branch of government and control their funding. Under federal law, DHS is forbidden from preventing members of Congress from entering any facility “used to detain or otherwise house aliens,” and lawmakers do not have to give DHS prior notice of a visit. DHS may require lawmakers’ staff to give 24 hours’ notice before those staffers can enter.

The new guidelines say that law does not apply to ICE field offices, although immigrants are often detained at ICE field offices before a transfer to an ICE jail. ICE is now asking members of Congress to give at least 72 hours’ notice before a visit.

US President Donald Trump, a Republican, returned to the White House in January partly on a pledge to voters to deport millions of immigrants, including those in the US without authorisation and those seeking asylum. He also has sought to deport international students legally studying in the US who have pro-Palestinian views.