() A union official who represents Border Patrol agents rebuts the notion that three Democratic members of Congress present during a scuffle outside a federal immigration detention facility in New Jersey were simply trying to make an official oversight visit.
The trio of representatives, all from New Jersey, could face legal consequences, the Trump administration says, even as the federal lawmakers insist they were exercising their authority to inspect a government facility.
Art Del Cueto, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, says members of Congress have indeed long enjoyed access to such sites after going through proper channels.
“You send a letter, you ask, and you’re allowed to go in there,” Del Cueto said. “You get escorted in there. You have leadership from the agency. They’ll walk around, and they’ll answer any questions you have.”
He added: “They chose not to do it that way.”
Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, was arrested last week after he attempted to enter the immigration detention facility with the three New Jersey representatives, who disagree with the Department of Homeland Security’s characterization that they stormed the location.
The privately operated detention center has become a flashpoint for protesters who have challenged the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
