ICE blocks Rep. Ansari from visiting sick detainees

Ansari sought to meet with three detainees suffering from serious medical ailments after hearing concerning stories from their families. ICE initially approved her visit before ultimately blocking her from conducting it. 

Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) is speaking out after US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) blocked her from conducting a previously-approved oversight visit to see sick detainees at Eloy Detention Center. 

Ansari was scheduled to visit the facility on Saturday, July 19 after receiving an influx of messages from family members of detainees who were worried about inadequate medical care within the facility.

Ansari requested to meet with three people: Arbella Rodríguez Márquez, 39, known as “Yari,” an LGBTQ+ legal permanent resident in Phoenix who lives with chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Rafael, an immigrant with worsening health who is now reportedly coughing up blood; and Katherine, a religious asylum seeker from Iran who has a kidney infection, according to Rep. Ansari.

Rodríguez Márquez has lost 55 pounds in ICE detention, according to her partner, Sonia Almaraz. Advocates are pleading for her release from Eloy Detention Center, which is one of the deadliest civil detention facilities in the country, according to Detention Watch Network.

Rafael is also suffering from a worsening health condition and is in urgent need of medical care, said Ansari. She said he signed a voluntary deportation order in hopes of receiving treatment, but still remains in custody.

Ansari sits on the House Oversight Committee, which monitors the federal government and its agencies to ensure accountability. Part of her role is to ensure agencies such as ICE are upholding the law, and visiting detention facilities is one of the most effective ways to ensure compliance.

Under federal law, members of Congress can make unannounced oversight visits to immigration facilities. Lawmakers are not required to provide prior notice to conduct oversight. 

But in June, ICE released new guidance requiring members of Congress to request visits to their facilities 72 hours in advance. 

Ansari’s office complied with the policies, but a day before her scheduled visit, a local ICE official confirmed her upcoming visit, but informed the congresswoman she would only be eligible to speak with one of her constituents, Katherine.

Ansari was informed by ICE that Rafael is not in custody at Eloy, and that the privacy form filled out for Rodríguez Márquez was “invalid.” Ansari’s team asked for clarification to correct the paperwork issue, but they only received a vague email informing them the visit was not approved. ICE then revoked the originally approved meeting with Katherine as well, and instead offered Ansari a generic tour of the facility.

Ansari had already received a tour of the facility in May, and specified that the purpose of this trip was to meet with constituents and address the concerns of their family members, who are worried that their loved ones’ health is deteriorating. 

Despite asking for additional information on why the meetings were abruptly cancelled, Ansari was brushed off by ICE and instructed to reach out to the ICE Office of Congressional Relations if she had any additional questions, per emails provided to The Copper Courier.

“This is not how oversight is supposed to work,” Ansari said during a press conference on Thursday. “But sadly, this is exactly how things operate under the Trump administration, and how they want it to work, even after they impose new arbitrary guidelines aimed at making it more difficult for members of Congress to do our oversight work.”

Ansari did not specify if she reached out to the ICE Office of Congressional Relations, and ICE did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this month, the GOP-controlled Congress passed President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security, including $75 billion in additional funding for ICE. The agency is now by far the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.

Ansari stressed that the new funding will only embolden the agency to continue rapidly arresting migrants, many of whom don’t have criminal records, and then deny lawmakers oversight access.

“Arizona should be outraged about the lack of accountability and the lack of oversight mechanisms,” Ansari said.