Latest news with #ChuyGarcia
CBS News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Illinois members of Congress say they were denied access to an ICE facility for second day
Illinois congresspeople tried to enter an immigration processing center in the Chicago area Wednesday, but for the second straight day were denied entry. U.S. Reps. Delia Ramirez, Jesús "Chuy" García, Jonathan Jackson, and Danny Davis went to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview Wednesday. The members of Congress said they have heard reports that the facility is being used as a detention center, in violation of state and city ordinances. The members of Congress also said they wanted to confirm reports that migrants held there are facing inhumane conditions and being cut off from their attorneys. The representatives held a news conference after García said the group was denied entry, despite federal law allowing them to inspect it. "What is happening in that detention facility, we should be able to inspect," said Jackson. "Members of Congress with the authority to be able to conduct unannounced oversight were told through a hole in a gate of barbed wire, 'Send an email,'" added Ramirez. This comes one day after Reps. Jackson and Raja Krishnamoorthi were also turned away from an immigration facility in Chicago's South Loop. CBS News Chicago reached out to ICE on this matter Wednesday, but had not heard back as of the afternoon.
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
No One Answers When Lawmakers From Illinois Knock on ICE's Door
Four neatly dressed people stood expectantly outside the front door of a brick Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in a Chicago suburb on Wednesday morning, shiny identification pins attached to their lapels. 'Good morning, four members of Congress here, seeking to have a word with the field office director,' said Representative Jesús G. 'Chuy' García, looking into a security camera pointed at the door. There was no response. For nearly two hours, the members of Congress from Illinois — Representatives Danny Davis, Delia Ramirez, Jonathan Jackson and Mr. García, all Democrats — tried to enter the ICE processing building in Broadview, about 10 miles west of downtown Chicago, to inspect the facility and speak to constituents in detention. They began with polite requests, moved on to pounding the glass door in unison, then departed in frustration and anger, their efforts thwarted by the officials inside. 'They're stonewalling,' Mr. Jackson said as the group waited for someone to answer the door. 'It's a standoff,' Mr. Davis said. 'What are they hiding?' Ms. Ramirez said. 'They know that we're here.' Members of Congress are allowed to enter ICE facilities under federal policy and do not have to provide advance notice, the representatives said, blaming the Trump administration for refusing to let them in. A spokesman for ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The visit was meant to draw attention to what Democrats say is an increasingly shadowy immigration enforcement effort operating with little oversight from Congress. In Chicago, a city of 2.7 million with large Mexican and Central American populations, advocates for immigrants have held rallies and demonstrations denouncing ICE and fear an even greater crackdown. On Sunday, President Trump wrote on social media that ICE officials should 'do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History' by expanding enforcement in major cities including Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago, a Democrat, called the plan 'unconscionable.' 'Ripping families apart and disappearing people do not make our cities safer,' he said. 'These unconstitutional actions incite fear in our immigrant communities and cause more problems than they solve.' On Wednesday morning, the members of Congress said that they approached the ICE facility with little idea what to expect, but hoped that they could gain entry to see if what they were hearing was true: that people inside were forced to sleep on the floor and were being held for days without access to lawyers. After being ignored at the front door, they walked to a side entrance adjoining a parking lot, peering through a chain-link fence and calling out to employees in the lot. One man who appeared to be an ICE employee or contractor, wearing a Chicago White Sox cap, dark sunglasses and a cloth face covering, told the group through the fence to go online to request access. He did not identify himself when the members of Congress asked for his name.
Middle East Eye
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
US lawmakers slam Israel's Iran strike as sabotage, not in US interest
Two prominent American lawmakers have called for restraint amid rising tensions following Israel's strike on Iran. Senator Rand Paul warned that a war with Iran would not serve US interests, saying: 'It would destabilise the region, cost countless lives, and drain our resources for generations.' He added that diplomacy should take precedence over military confrontation, calling dialogue with adversaries 'the strength of a confident nation seeking peace'. Congressman Chuy Garcia condemned the Israeli attacks, calling them 'acts of diplomatic sabotage' that risk triggering wider conflict. He also urged Washington to end the flow of offensive weapons to Israel, especially those being used in Gaza, and called for a renewed push towards negotiations. War with Iran is not in America's interest. It would destabilize the region, cost countless lives, and drain our resources for generations. We should pursue diplomacy, not destruction. Engaging in dialogue with adversaries is not weakness; it's the strength of a confident nation… — Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) June 13, 2025
CBS News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Immigrant rights leaders speaking out against Trump's policies during Chicago rally
Immigrant rights leaders will speak out against President Trump's immigration policies during a rally Monday morning. Congressman Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia will join leaders from several immigrant rights groups to fight back against what they describe as attacks on their communities. Members of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the Arab American Action Network, the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, and labor leaders from SEIU will also attend the rally. They will highlight what they consider "cruelty" by the Trump administration, regarding its deportation policy, attacks on sanctuary cities, and the new travel ban. The rally follows a protest in Pilsen on Sunday, where people gathered to condemn ICE's detention of several people at an immigration supervision program site in the South Loop last week. Witnesses said at least 10 people were loaded into vans. It was unclear why they were detained. Protesters spoke out against what they saw as Chicago police working with ICE agents. CPD confirmed officers were on scene to help with crowd control, not assisting ICE. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week directed ICE agents to ramp up activity targeting immigrants who have overstayed their visas in the U.S. Over the weekend, the Trump administration deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to large-scale protests following dozens of arrests Friday in citywide Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘No coincidence' Trump introduced travel ban while negotiating spending bill, Democrats say
Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy, claim President Trump 's newly announced travel ban is a distraction from his spending bill, which they say favors the wealthy at the expense of regular Americans. Murphy stated that the travel ban, announced as the spending bill is debated in the Senate, is an attempt to divert attention from the bill's impact on the poorest Americans. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that extending the tax cuts in Trump's bill would increase the national debt by $3.8 trillion. Other Democrats, like Congressman Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia, echoed the sentiment, calling the travel ban a distraction from the Trump administration's corruption. Democrats claim Trump's travel ban is just a distraction so his spending bill can get through Congress
