Enraged Democrats plan to "double down" on ICE visits
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House Democrats hold a press conference at the U.S. Capitol denouncing the Justice Department's charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver on May 20. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
In their fury over the Trump administration's charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), House Democrats are planning to ramp up oversight visits to ICE facilities, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The prosecution effort has, to a shocking degree, galvanized Democrats on an issue that perennially divides them — with even the party's centrist border hawks railing against it.
- "Members are getting increasingly angry and frustrated at the overreach, and now one of our members has been singled out for intimidation," said House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.).
- Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), a moderate, told Axios: "Democrats should be all over oversight. ... We have to double down. We have to do more."
What we're hearing: Several House Democratic groups have discussed organizing oversight visits to ICE facilities during the next week's recess, multiple lawmakers familiar with the conversations told Axios.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) told Axios that "many of us were going to go visit anyway, and we're going to move those visits as soon as we can."
- "We actually discussed at our Progressive Caucus meeting ... doing more of those visits," said Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas), who said members want to show they "will not be cowed" by Trump.
What happened: McIver was charged with two counts of assaulting law enforcement officers in connection with a scuffle she and other House Democrats had with ICE officials in New Jersey earlier this month.
- The confrontation occurred outside the Delany Hall detention center, a migrant holding facility that the Democrats alleged is being operated by a private prison company without the proper permitting.
- The lawmakers — along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested at the scene — made an unannounced visit to conduct oversight of the facility.
- The Trump administration has accused McIver of elbowing officers as they arrested Baraka, but she has said she was the one who was assaulted.
What they're saying: Democrats from across the political spectrum have condemned the charges as baseless, accusing the Trump administration of trying to intimidate them into not conducting oversight.
- "My hope is that we don't let what the administration is doing — trying to stifle our voices — shut us down," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition.
- "When the shoe was on the other foot, we allowed Republicans to do these unannounced visits. There was no stopping them from doing that, there was no bulls**t like that," said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.).
- Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), one of the lawmakers who was with McIver at Delany Hall, told Axios: "The idea that we're going to change course or do anything other than we've done previously is just not the case."
What to watch: In addition to group trips, some individual House Democrats are already talking about making their own visits to nearby ICE facilities while back in their districts over the Memorial Day break.
- "I think we should be doubling down, and I think what you're hearing from our members is we need to be spending next week doing these visits," said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.).
- "I'm prepared to go to the detention centers in Indiana," she added. "If they're going to arrest me, then so be it."
Go deeper: Scoop: House Dems to probe DOJ charges against McIver