Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday accused a group of House Democrats, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), of disrupting operations during a tour of Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. The agency detailed the alleged disruptions in a post on X, saying the lawmakers arrived early, overstayed their allotted time, and resisted leaving when asked.
Jayapal, who led the delegation of five lawmakers, posted a video on X showing her inside the facility, with the logo of CoreCivic, the private operator, visible behind her. She described the visit as an oversight effort and said what they witnessed was “heartbreaking.”
According to ICE, the delegation arrived an hour early and was granted additional time beyond the 90-minute block initially set aside. When facility officials requested that the group depart, ICE said the lawmakers “indicated resistance.” The delegation eventually left but moved to an adjacent Department of Justice facility, where they demanded to sit through an immigration court hearing. ICE said the group remained on site until about 3:45 p.m.
“This is not the first time a congressional delegation has disrupted operations during an ICE facility visit,” the agency's post stated. Despite the challenges, ICE emphasized that it has provided “historic access” to members of Congress and their staff, with more than 330 such visits conducted in Fiscal Year 2026 alone. The agency said it would continue to offer access so the American public can understand its operations.
Jayapal, in her own social media post, confirmed the visit included five members of Congress. She said they spoke with detainees and learned that more than 1,900 people are held at the facility. She described it as “one of the worst in the country,” citing reports of medical malpractice, lack of clean water, and inadequate food. The delegation also met the wife of a detainee who had been held for 15 months, as well as migrants detained for at least two years.
Jayapal called for the facility to be shut down, arguing that Americans across party lines reject the administration's approach to immigration enforcement. “They do not want this. They do not want innocent people locked up,” she said. “They do not want the kind of cruelty that's happening across the country and in places like this.”
The Washington Democrat vowed to change the Trump administration's “cruel” immigration policies if Democrats retake the House in the 2026 midterms. She expressed hope of becoming chair of the House Immigration Subcommittee. Her comments come amid broader Democratic efforts to spotlight detention conditions, including at Delaney Hall in Newark, N.J., where a third detainee recently died after a medical emergency.
Jayapal's descriptions echo findings from an independent court-appointed monitor who determined that the California City Immigration Processing Center failed to provide adequate medical care to detained migrants. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously denied those claims, asserting that no detainees were denied access to medical care.
The dispute highlights the ongoing tension between congressional oversight and agency operations. As Democrats ramp up scrutiny of immigration enforcement, similar clashes may become more frequent. For more on the political landscape, see Democrats' 2026 strategy and polling on economic issues. The episode also underscores the broader debate over immigration policy, which has seen Europe's immigration pivot align with Trump-era approaches.
