Amid growing tensions between the public and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in New York City, two members of Congress said they were denied access to a federal detainment center in Lower Manhattan.

“What is it that they are hiding?” said Rep. Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, after being turned away from the 10th floor of the Jacob Javits Federal Building at Federal Plaza on Sunday.

“Well they're not hiding anything,” she added. “Because we know what's going on! They are apprehending people that are following the rules.”

What You Need To Know

  • Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Adriano Espaillat said they were denied access to a federal detainment center in Lower Manhattan on Sunday

  • According to the lawmakers, they waited for about an hour in the lobby of the federal building, which houses immigration courtrooms, before being turned away

  • Espaillat said the denial was a violation “of all our rights”

  • The lawmakers' attempted visit came one day after several anti-ICE protesters were taken into custody during clashes with police outside the same building

Velázquez was joined by Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat who represents parts of Manhattan and the Bronx. Both lawmakers expressed outrage after their request to visit the floor, where they suspect undocumented immigrants are being detained in overcrowded, inhumane conditions, was denied.

“ICE violated all of our rights because as an extension, we are here to defend your rights, the rights of the American people,” Espaillat said. “To have access and oversight to the federal buildings to ensure that everything is done correctly and in accordance to the law."

According to the lawmakers, they waited for about an hour in the lobby of the federal building, which houses immigration courtrooms, before being informed their request would not be granted.

The immigrants’ rights group Make The Road New York thanked both representatives for vowing to continue efforts to hold ICE accountable and ensure that no constitutional rights are being violated inside the facility.

“Understanding the conditions in the building, how hot it is, where people are using the bathroom,” said Daniel Coates, director of public affairs for the group. “We have questions about all of those things. These are easy questions to answer, and they should be easy questions for anybody who is supervising a detention center…to be able to show and answer if the conditions are fine. But if they’re not, then, what are they hiding and what’s going on?”

The lawmakers' attempted visit came one day after several anti-ICE protesters were taken into custody during clashes with police outside the same building.

Sources tell NY1 that another protest is expected to take place at Federal Plaza on Tuesday night.