U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford was denied entry to the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump after his team said they made prior arrangements. Horsford stated, “I am not going to be harassed or bullied or threatened by he warden, or ICE, or Donald Trump or his agencies,” after being blocked by Warden John Mattos, who allegedly labeled him a security risk. He also said, “Under the law, members of Congress have every right to do oversight of federal facilities, including this one, which was located in my district,” according to News 3 Lv. Videos of the incident showed Horsford identifying himself and explaining the purpose of his visit.
Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill said, “We have always worked together with ICE for many, many years,” following U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford’s denied visit to the Nevada Southern Detention Center, as per News 3 Lv. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office was called to the facility after Horsford was blocked, but his group had already left when deputies arrived. ICE Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that members of Congress must receive prior approval from the Secretary of Homeland Security to tour such facilities, citing a rise in assaults against agents and disruptions involving lawmakers, as reported by FOX5 Vegas.
CoreCivic, the operator of the Nevada Southern Detention Center, stated, “We operate safe, secure facilities that provide high-quality services for our government partners at ICE,” as mentioned by News 3 Lv. The reason Rep. Steven Horsford was denied access to the facility has not been made clear. Horsford said, “They showed up sometime after, and it just shows you that there is clearly something that they are hiding,” and pledged to return for further investigation.
