U.S. Representatives Hillary Scholten and Haley Stevens, both Democrats, have issued a formal demand for accountability from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons.
The lawmakers are calling for transparency following their visit to the North Lake Processing Center they say was “cut short.”
In their letter, the representatives note that more than 100 detainees requested meetings, but fewer than 10 were made available.
Requests to speak with detainees, without ICE supervision, were denied.
One detainee alleged feeling too intimidated to speak while staff were present.
Detainees reported being held in solitary confinement experiencing extreme temperatures and many are unaware of the reasons for their detention or of their legal rights.
Scholten from Grand Rapids and Stevens from Rochester Hills cite their Constitutional oversite duties at North Lake and similar facilities nationwide.
They demand members of Congress are granted access to detention centers without prior notice and be allowed to interview detainees without supervision from DHS or facility staff.
They want a guarantee that detainees will not face retribution for speaking with Congressional representatives.
The lawmakers note they are still awaiting a response to a previous inquiry regarding the death of a detainee in December 2025.
The full letter is available here.
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