![Murcarsell Powell Donna Shalala](https://floridapolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Murcarsell-Powell-Donna-Shalala.jpg)
A Homestead refugee detention facility plans to deny three Florida congresswomen access to the facility.
U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Donna Shalala and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, all Democrats, planned to visit the Homestead Office of Refugee Resettlement.
The representatives issued a joint statement slamming the decision.
“Denying entry to oversee the conditions and care provided to the unaccompanied children in the Homestead facility would not only be a breach of transparency and confidence in the care provided there, it would violate the law,” the statement reads.
Wasserman Schultz and then-U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson were similarly denied entry to the facility last year.
After that happened, the statement notes, Congress took action.
“Congress specifically addressed it by ensuring Members would have unencumbered access to such facilities to conduct our constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities,” the statement reads.
“Given long-held concerns about the Homestead facility’s lack of staffing, space, education and other services, the recent announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services that it will dramatically expand the number of beds there merits immediate scrutiny.”
Wasserman Schultz sponsored the access law.
President Donald Trump’s administration this week announced a major expansion in the Homestead facilities, from 2,350 to 3,200 later this month. That comes after a boost from 1,350 beds to 2,350 beds in January.
In total, Democrat point out, that’s a 140-percent increase in child bed capacity in just four months.
Notably, Shalala and Mucarsel-Powell toured the facility after the last expansion in beds.
The detention of refugees and treatment of immigrants and family separation by federal officials became a major campaign issue last year.
But this moves beyond political debate and into lawlessness, the congresswomen said.
“The Department’s initial refusal to allow entry there under these current circumstances is deeply troubling,” the statement reads. “Violating the law is never acceptable, and certainly not in this critical moment.”
Other Congressional leaders already warned that if officials denied visitation to members of Congress, there could be consequences.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, chair of the Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, on Friday said so much in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
“The representatives intend to visit the facility to conduct oversight of the condition of the facility and care received by the unaccompanied alien children,” DeLauro wrote.
“If the Department of Health and Human Services denies them access, the Department would be in violation of the law.”
She urged the department to ensure Homestead officials complied with statute.
6 comments
Marla Hughes
April 6, 2019 at 5:30 pm
And where in the H E double hockey sticks do they propose we house unaccompanied minors, pray tell? In the over capacity government shelters? These are the 13 to 17 year olds so are old enough to choose to go home if they don’t like it in our shelters while they’re being processed.
John Duke
April 7, 2019 at 8:11 am
Marla,
these congresswoman , elected within our democratic system must at least see the results of detention and be able to report to their constituents , there should be open doors , nothing to hide, yes there must be a place for the young without families. You may consider ”bleeding heart liberals” to be to soft yet then, where is Christian compassion ?
Kenneth Newman
April 7, 2019 at 1:17 am
The three amigos should have brought a BULLDOZER with them, and slammed through the fence of the Homestead facility, just as they might have to do to indict the lier-in chief, slam through the White House fence……
Peter Harding
April 7, 2019 at 10:53 am
The denial of access to elected officials is highly susspicious and needs to be remidied quickly. Democrats need to learn to exert their power when necessary and expeditiously. Something is not right and we need to know what is going on. Warrants need to be issued and arrests made. If the shoe were on the other food there would be no hesitation and profound public outcry.
Peter
April 7, 2019 at 10:53 am
The denial of access to elected officials is highly susspicious and needs to be remidied quickly. Democrats need to learn to exert their power when necessary and expeditiously. Something is not right and we need to know what is going on. Warrants need to be issued and arrests made. If the shoe were on the other food there would be no hesitation and profound public outcry.
gary
April 8, 2019 at 5:01 pm
These Democrats are doing what Democrats always do, create an issue out of nothing to gin up the yoyo supporters. By reading these comments here, it works like a charm!
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