Updated 19 hr ago
By Karina Tsui
Just days after two crew workers helping battle Washington’s largest wildfire were arrested by Border Patrol, Washington Rep. Emily Randall — who represents the district where the men are being held — was denied entry to the facility, calling the situation “disgusting” in an interview with CNN affiliate KOMO.
“This would have been my fourth visit yesterday to the ICE facility in Tacoma, there in my district,” Randall told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday. “I had done two previous announced visits and one previous unannounced visit, which is the statutory authority of Congress, the oversight body of ICE and Homeland Security.”
The statute prevents the Department of Homeland Security from using its funding to stop certain people, like members of Congress, from entering facilities where immigrants are held, if they are there to do oversight, but Randall was denied entry on Saturday.
In a statement to CNN on Sunday, a DHS official said, “Rep. Randall did not follow proper protocol to schedule her visit of an ICE detention facility. This was nothing more than a political stunt to get media, clicks, and 15 minutes of fame. As ICE law enforcement have seen a surge in assaults, disruptions, and obstructions to enforcement — including by Member of Congress themselves — any requests to tour processing centers and field offices must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security” ...
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/31/us/washington-fire-detain-worker-border-patrol
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