Photo via Gage Skidmore / Flickr
By Morgan Fischer | Phoenix New Times
Arizona Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton wants to join a lawsuit challenging a new Department of Homeland Security policy that requires prior notice for visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities after he was denied entry over the rule.
On July 25, Stanton made the trek to ICE’s Eloy Detention Center, which is operated by private prison group CoreCivic. He planned to meet with Kelly Yu, a detainee and restaurant owner in Peoria, and conduct oversight in accordance with his congressional duties. But like so many other members of Congress conducting oversight visits, Stanton was turned away.
Despite federal law saying otherwise, Stanton was told that he could enter only after providing the facility with seven days’ notice that he was planning to visit, negating the point of a surprise inspection. A little over a week later, after providing that notice and securing approval to visit, Stanton returned to the facility. On Tuesday, he was given a nearly five-hour tour and met with Yu and 20 other detainees.
