UNITED STATES—The Democratic House Oversight Committee was reportedly barred from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol facilities due to conduct by the Department of Homeland Security.

In a six-page press release, Elijah Cummings, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, expressed concerns regarding the conditions at the visited CBP facility.  The report can be found here.

 

Cummings expressed on the Oversight Committee website his belief that the reason for being banned was the committee finding fault in what they allegedly saw.

According to reports, the House Oversight Committee was rude and disruptive.

Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Christine Ciccone stated in a Fox News Exclusive that members of the House Oversight Committee sent by Cummings repeatedly indicated they had no intention of abiding by DHS guidelines.

Ciccone stated that those touring the facility insisted on conducting interviews and taking photographs which Ciccone stated is a “significant deviation from DHS policy.” It could cause them to jeopardize the DHS’s legal obligation.

DHS did reportedly inform the committee of the reason that no further visits to CBP facilities would be permitted unless the Committee complied with all existing guidelines and policies. Cummings was not with the Democratic House Oversight Committee when they toured the facility.