The Department of Homeland Security flipped out on Wednesday after a group of Democrats posted a video of them being denied entry to an immigration detention center in Brooklyn, New York.
New York Democrat Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Dan Goodman, and Nydia Velázquez were featured in a video posted on Espaillat’s X account. The trio was attempting to inspect conditions at the Sunset Park detention facility when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents prevented them from entering the building.
The Democrats identified themselves as members of Congress, which gives them the legal authority to enter the buildings.
“This blatant lack of respect towards the Legislative Branch is a deterioration of checks and balances, all while they hide their atrocities from the public,” Espillat said in the post. “The people demand answers, and immigrants deserve humanity.”
DHS responded to the video from its official X account.
“This is deeply unserious,” DHS wrote in a post. “The Members were not trapped and were free to leave whenever they would like, in fact the BOP, which manages this facility, had to close the gates to prevent the media from trespassing.”
“Here are the facts: These members did not follow proper protocol and schedule their visit. Instead, they brought a gaggle of media to drive clicks and fundraising emails,” the post continued.
DHS added that any requests for visits must give at least a week’s notice before they can inspect the facility, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must personally grant the requests. That timeline would allow the agency enough time to “protect the President’s Article II authority” to oversee the function of executive branches, the post added.