Deluzio, PA Colleagues Introduce Bill to Expand Congressional Oversight at ICE Facilities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), and Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03) introduced the new Oversight Access Act of 2026.
This bill would allow for Representatives to bring one member of their staff inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities when conducting oversight, without prior notice. This would allow for additional translation services and more capacity to conduct oversight. Under a current Trump Administration rule, Members of Congress can enter the facility unannounced but interpreters and other staff must receive prior approval, defeating the purpose of unannounced oversight visits.
“Moshannon officials blocked my staff from joining our oversight visit this May, and it limited the conversations we could have with people detained inside. Unannounced congressional oversight visits to federal facilities are powerful and important accountability measures. However, unannounced oversight would be far stronger if Members of Congress could be accompanied by a staff member who could provide translation services, legal guidance, or policy expertise. I’m introducing the Oversight Access Act to make this fix and expand congressional oversight at ICE facilities.” – Congressman Chris Deluzio
“Congress has a solemn duty to conduct oversight at ICE facilities in Pennsylvania and across the country, but ICE’s arbitrary rules have made that more difficult. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I care deeply about ensuring that any facility receiving federal dollars lives up to the highest standards of care, decency, and safety. I am grateful to Congressman Deluzio, Congresswoman Scanlon, Congresswoman Lee, and Congressman Evans for their partnership on this critical legislation, which would strengthen Congressional oversight and make it easier for members of Congress and our staff to visit ICE facilities unannounced." – Congresswoman Madeleine Dean
“When a Member of Congress visits an ICE detention facility to conduct congressional oversight, they must be able to do so effectively. That includes being able to bring an essential staff member or interpreter to support this critical duty. I am proud to lead the Oversight Access Act with Reps. Deluzio, Dean, Lee, and Evans to ensure that future unannounced oversight visits include a staff member.” – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon
“Congressional oversight works when Members of Congress have the proper tools they need, and our staff play a critical role in that work, from providing translation services to bringing legal and policy expertise to the table. It’s been made clear abuse, neglect, and inhumane conditions have plagued detention centers. Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility and right to conduct oversight, and we must be able to do our jobs without obstruction or intimidation. No administration is above accountability.” – Congresswoman Summer Lee
“Over the past year and a half, we have seen numerous reports of inhumane, even deadly conditions of ICE detention facilities. I’m proud to join this effort to demand more transparency and oversight of the Trump-Vance Administration’s actions.” – Congressman Dwight Evans
Deluzio and his colleagues are introducing this bill after he and Congresswoman Lee conducted an unannounced oversight visit of ICE’s largest detention center in Pennsylvania, the Moshannon Valley Detention Center. At the site, the congressmembers were not permitted to bring their congressional staff inside the facility. These staff were immigration policy experts and able to provide translation services. ICE blocking congressional staff from entering the facility limited the congressmembers’ ability to communicate with people detained inside Moshannon.
Specifically, the bill would:
- Remove the requirement of prior notice for a Member or an employee to enter any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security.
- Prohibits temporary modification in any such facility that would alter what is observed by a Member of Congress while conducting oversight.
- Prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from preventing Members of Congress and congressional employees accompanying a Member from entering a facility with the purpose of conducting oversight.
The full text of the Oversight Access Act is available here.
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