Leah Litman

So congressional oversight and Congress actually exercising oversight powers, whether that is limiting funding, conducting hearings and whatnot, those are all possibilities.

That is part of an appropriations rider.

And yet, yet the administration has refused entry and indeed is prosecuting one of the Democratic representatives, LaMonica McIver, who showed up to an ICE facility and attempted to engage in some oversight.

She was initially refused entry.

There was a skirmish involving Newark Mayor Roz Baraka.

She was subsequently let in.

And then afterwards, they are charging her with assaulting an ICE agent.

Well, hopefully, you know, after January 2027, you know, it doesn't look like that.

And, you know, a Democratic-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate, you know, could pass funding restrictions on ICE.

So long as ICE doesn't institute training and certain protections.

Now, the president is likely to veto it.

But I still think it is important to press the case for, look, we are just trying to ensure that basic principles of due process are being followed and that we are not housing people in these grotesque conditions.

There was a report, a medical examiner concluded that one of the people in ICE detention, he ruled his death a homicide.

So, you know, that has to be the sort of thing that politicians, you know, find worth fighting for and they are willing to continue to appear at these facilities.

And, you know, if and when they get a majority, you know, they attempt to provide some oversight and then also some accountability, you know, and actually allowing potential litigation against ICE officers to go forward.

Yeah.

Yes.

Federal officers are not allowed to violate state and local criminal law.

Now, prosecuting those officers is difficult because what happens is they argue as a defense that they were merely carrying out their federal duties.

And when state law, a state criminal statute, conflicts with