{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://dexter.house.gov/media/press-releases/dexter-denied-access-ice-facilities-presses-accountability", "Dexter Denied Access to ICE Facilities, Presses for Accountability", "2025-10-31", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Maxine Dexter", "D000635", "dexter.house.gov", "dexter", "https://dexter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "PORTLAND, OR\u2014 Today, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, calling for the reinstatement of congressional oversight and communication functions that ICE has suspended during Trump\u2019s government shutdown.\n\nThe letter comes as Dexter has been denied access to ICE facilities on multiple occasions. Earlier this month, Dexter was refused entry into the Portland ICE facility. Despite ICE granting access to right-wing media influencers, officials told Dexter they had explicit instructions to not allow activities related to congressional affairs. This week, Dexter was blocked from conducting congressional oversight at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. While unable to perform her official duties\u2014including monitoring detention conditions and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly\u2014Dexter met with constituents as a private citizen, including Napolean Maga\u00f1a.\n\n\u201cAt a time when at least 20 people have died in ICE custody this year, the need for oversight could not be more urgent,\u201d said Dexter. \u201cICE has record funding from Trump\u2019s One Big Betrayal Bill. The only plausible explanation for denying congressional oversight during the shutdown is to hide his cruelty. This isn\u2019t about a lack of funding\u2014it\u2019s about a lack of accountability.\u201d\n\nRead the full text of the letter here. View Dexter\u2019s remarks outside the NW Detention Center here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://dexter.house.gov/media/press-releases/dexter-denied-access-ice-facilities-presses-accountability"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8888716585934162, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}