Committees Demand that ICE Stop Stonewalling Detainee Medical Abuse Investigation
(WASHINGTON) – Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations Subcommittee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Chairman of the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee, sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding that the agency stop stonewalling the Committees’ investigation of allegations of medical abuse of detainees at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) and interfering with LaSalle Corrections’ production of documents requested by the Committees on September 21.
“No documents have been produced to date by you, LaSalle Corrections, or ICDC. Instead, officials from LaSalle Corrections informed us that they produced responsive documents to you prior to the response date of October 2, claiming—incorrectly—that their contract with ICE prevents them from producing documents directly to the Committees without your permission.
“Despite this misunderstanding of the law, you have not stated when—or even if—ICE will allow LaSalle Corrections to produce its documents to the Committees, or when or if you will produce your own responsive documents to the Committees. ICE staff have indicated that they might not produce any documents to the Committees, but instead may seek to withhold them by deflecting responsibility to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
“You, LaSalle Corrections, and the ICDC each have an independent responsibility to produce to Congress the documents we have requested, yet you have all failed to do so to date. Agencies may not use any contractual provisions or other means to prohibit contractors or others from providing documents or information sought by Congress. Moreover, the existence of an investigation by the Inspector General does not in any way relieve you—or your contractors—of your independent obligation to produce all documents requested by the Committees.”
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Press Contact
Media contact:
Adam Comis (Homeland Security) 202-225-9978
Aryele Bradford (Oversight and Reform) 202-226-5181
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