WATCH: America’s first ‘formerly undocumented’ congressman delivers ultimatum at besieged ICE facility
The New York City lawmaker who describes himself as the first "formerly undocumented immigrant" member of Congress was defiant this week when he arrived at Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center...
By Fox News · Fox News
The New York City lawmaker who describes himself as the first " formerly undocumented immigrant " member of Congress was defiant this week when he arrived at Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center waving a court order and demanding entry. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a Washington Heights Democrat, was one of three Manhattan lawmakers who converged on the center Wednesday to demand the Trump administration shut it down and, in the interim, treat those held inside more humanely. "Shut it down," Espaillat boomed, after spending some time inside Delaney Hall purportedly visiting inmates. When he arrived, Espaillat and his aides approached the entrance gate, and the lawmaker pulled out a document and waved it, telling guards who he was and that a judge had given him clearance to enter. DEM CONGRESS MEMBERS STORM NEW JERSEY ICE PRISON TO CONDUCT 'OVERSIGHT VISIT': 'PEOPLE DESERVE DIGNITY' "I have a court order here that allows me to come in. I will go in because the Constitution protects me," Espaillat hollered to the people at the gate. Espaillat said he is also one of 12 plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to force DHS to allow lawmakers into any detention center, including privately operated facilities such as Delaney Hall, at any time without notice. The order Espaillat waved appeared to have District of Columbia federal court letterhead and included a line stating the case appeared before two Obama appointees, Cornelia Pillard and Robert Wilkins, and one Trump appointee, Neomi Rao, who replaced Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the appellate bench. The lead plaintiff listed was Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo. "I'm going to be introducing legislation that would allow Governor Mikie Sherrill and any governor or any state to be able to come and inspect a federal detention center like this. So I plan to do that very soon," Espaillat said. He said any public official should be allowed into Delaney Hall to inspect conditions and claimed the majority of those being held are "working people" befo…