Bell, Budzinski Visit Missouri ICE Detention Center

STE. GENEVIEVE, MO - Yesterday, Representatives Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) and Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) visited the St. Genevieve County Jail, which serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center. The representatives conducted congressional oversight by touring the facilities and speaking to detainees.

Detainees from Missouri's First District often end up in the Ste. Genevieve detention center. Reports show that many detainees face issues related to lack of access to medical care, poor living conditions, and an inability to get in touch with ICE officers for legal or personal needs.

"As a Member of Congress and the House Oversight Committee, and as a former prosecutor and public defender, I'm committed to conducting oversight to ensure DHS and ICE are operating humanely and according to their written standards," said Rep. Bell. "Speaking to detainees and witnessing the conditions of the Ste. Genevieve County Jail, where detainees from Missouri's First District are often sent, was exactly what I expected: these facilities were not designed for this use, but for incarceration. Many of these individuals are here working jobs, raising families and following the rules. They did not break the law and were appearing at their asylum or immigration hearings as instructed - and they were detained anyway. The human beings detained across our country need to be treated as just that - and they deserve so much more care than they are being given. I'll continue to fight to ensure these detainees are given adequate healthcare and legal protections and are treated with the dignity and respect all people deserve, not only in the St. Louis region, but across the country."

"Over the last year, we've seen members of our community detained by ICE while going to work, picking up their kids, or simply going about their daily lives. Many of those individuals have been transferred to the Ste. Genevieve detention facility. As their representative, I have a responsibility to conduct oversight and see that these facilities are operating safely, humanely, and transparently," said Rep. Budzinski. "We heard concerns from detainees regarding some basic necessities, including access to medical care, which we have immediately elevated to facility leadership. We will continue to closely monitor conditions in detention facilities and pursue meaningful reforms to the current operations of ICE and CBP."

Rep. Bell continues to fight to defund ICE and investigate what is really going on in detention facilities. As a member of the House Oversight Committee, he has questioned ICE agents and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership, toured immigration detention centers, and subpoenaed bad actors to hold those in power accountable. He also introduced the No ICE Ads Act to prohibit DHS from using taxpayer funds for television advertisements to promote, recruit for, or brand ICE.