Photo: Jay Willett/WBZ NewsRadio
BURLINGTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts Representative Lori Trahan toured the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Boston Field Office in Burlington on Tuesday.
She said that she was provided full access to the facility during her congressional oversight visit.
The congresswoman represents the state's 3rd district that includes Lowell, Lawrence, Concord, and her hometown of Westford.
After the tour, Trahan said the Trump Administration's aggressive immigration policies have resulted in documented cases of people with no criminal history being detained. "While Trump and Republicans defend all of this, they are holding the entirety of DHS hostage to it."
Congressional Democrats and some Republicans are withholding money from the Department of Homeland Security as part of the partial government shutdown.
But Trahan said there needs to be a separation of some of the departments that fall under DHS, such as TSA (Transportation Security Administration), which is responsible for security at U.S. airports.
TSA Agents haven't been getting paid, causing a rise in callouts and staff shortages.
Trahan also said Trump Administration policies have resulted in the detention of children during immigration sweeps that target parents. "It is absolutely unacceptable that we arrest children," she said. "Using children as bait, it's just not ok for that to happen in the United States, never mind Massachusetts."
Trahan called some of the immigration policies 'reckless' and said congressional oversight of ICE 'must continue.'
WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.