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President Donald Trump‘s administration was hit with a new lawsuit on Wednesday from a dozen House lawmakers accusing it of unlawfully obstructing congressional oversight of federal immigration detention facilities.
The suit was filed in Washington, D.C., and the 12 plaintiffs, all of whom are Democrats, are represented by the advocacy groups Democracy Forward Foundation and American Oversight.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Wednesday.
What To Know
Wednesday’s lawsuit zeroes in on a new policy the Trump administration implemented mandating a seven-day waiting period and restricting access to field offices where people are being detained.
The suit alleges that the policy is unlawful and violates a federal statute that allows for members of Congress to conduct oversight of detention facilities run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without prior notice.
The 12 House Democrats who are plaintiffs in the suit are Representatives Joe Neguse, Adriano Espaillat, Bennie Thompson, Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia, J. Luis Correa, Jason Crow, Veronica Escobar, Dan Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Raul Ruiz and Norma Torres.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Representative Joe Neguse of Colorado, who is leading the plaintiffs in the suit, said in a statement: “Blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law—and the Trump administration knows it. Such blatant disregard for both the law and the constitutional order by the Trump administration warrants a serious and decisive response, which is why I’m proud to lead the lawsuit we proceeded with earlier today.”
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP