New York, NY – Three Democratic U.S. Representatives, Dan Goldman, Nydia Velázquez, and Adriano Espaillat, were denied entry to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn on August 6, 2025, during an attempted oversight visit to inspect conditions for over 100 immigrants recently transferred there by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The lawmakers, who were briefly trapped between security gates and the facility, were rebuffed by Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials, sparking renewed calls for transparency and accountability.
The incident occurred as the representatives sought to exercise their congressional oversight duties regarding the well-being of immigrant detainees. According to reports, masked agents refused access, leading to a standoff. Rep. Espaillat stated on social media, "This blatant lack of respect towards the Legislative Branch is a deterioration of checks and balances, all while they hide their atrocities from the public."
MDC Brooklyn, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, has a documented history of severe issues, including understaffing, medical neglect, and inhumane conditions, which federal judges have previously condemned as "barbaric." The facility began housing over 100 ICE detainees, many reportedly without criminal records, as part of a new interagency agreement between ICE and BOP. This move has drawn criticism from elected officials and advocacy groups who argue the facility is unsuitable for civil immigration detention.
Rep. Goldman, whose district includes MDC Brooklyn, has previously voiced concerns that the influx of immigrant detainees would exacerbate the jail's "already deplorable conditions." He, along with other lawmakers, has been involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that new policies requiring prior notice for oversight visits at immigration facilities infringe on their constitutional responsibilities.
The denial of access on August 6 is not an isolated incident, as some of the lawmakers involved had been previously turned away from other ICE facilities in New York. The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) President and CEO Murad Awawdeh, who accompanied the representatives, stated, "Not only did MDC deny oversight access to their detention center, they went as far as to detain Congress members and myself. MDC must be held accountable for this egregious action." The lawmakers vowed to continue their efforts to gain access and ensure transparency regarding the conditions of detainees.