New Congressional Bill Seeks to Prohibit DHS from Blocking Lawmaker Inspections of Detention Centers

A new bill introduced in Congress, H.R. 10111, aims to prevent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from blocking members of Congress or their staff from inspecting facilities where immigrants are detained. The Oversight Access Act would also prohibit DHS from requiring prior notice for such visits or modifying facilities to alter observations. This legislative effort follows instances where members of the House Committee on Homeland Security were reportedly denied access to these facilities.