Amidst the ICE activity and protests around the Los Angeles area on Saturday, several Southern California congressional representatives said they tried to enter a federal building downtown where they said immigrant families are being detained.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, said he and several other Democratic House members attempted to visit the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building on Saturday, June 7. He said, in a series of posts on social media, that the lawmakers were “exercising our congressional authority to investigate ICE’s inhuman detention of immigrant families” at the detention center but were denied entry.

Federal law allows for a member of Congress or designated employees of the U.S. House or Senate to enter any facility operated by the Department of Homeland Security for the purpose of conducting oversight.

Members of Congress do not need to provide advance notice for visits to ICE detention facilities, guidelines on the immigration agency’s website note. Congressional staff must give 24 hours’ notice, according to federal law.

Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, said the lawmakers had heard reports that people in the detention facility were being denied their attorney, were placed in overcrowded conditions or did not have access to adequate health care.

But he said when the lawmakers attempted to enter, there were other people in the area, and he believes they were denied access because of safety concerns.

Still, Correa said he, at least, plans to try to visit the detention center again.

“Our jobs as members of Congress is to make sure that we hold accountable, hold responsible, how those taxpayer dollars are spent. That’s our job,” said Correa.

Gomez, in a video on social media, said the denial was “to prevent us from doing our jobs.”

DHS is breaking the law by blocking me, @Repluzrivas, @NormaJTorres and @RepLouCorrea from conducting oversight. That’s not a misunderstanding—it’s a violation of federal law.

I’m demanding @Sec_Noem launch an immediate investigation. If her agency won’t follow the law, she… https://t.co/ZARmAhBuTV pic.twitter.com/6Nazecdj5G

— Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@RepJimmyGomez) June 7, 2025

Federal authorities conducted multiple immigration raids around Los Angeles on Friday, followed by more action on Saturday at a Home Depot parking lot in Paramount, about 10 miles south of the downtown federal building.

Protests have erupted around the area, and President Donald Trump said he is deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles.

Last month, in New Jersey, members of Congress clashed with law enforcement when the lawmakers attempted to visit an ICE detention center. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-New Jersey, faces assault charges stemming from the incident, which she has called “political intimidation” and has denied the Justice Department’s allegations, according to the New York Times.

Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, has since said, “We do acknowledge that any member of Congress has the right to show up for an inspection at one of our facilities in their oversight capacity.”

He said, during a recent congressional hearing, that members still need to show proper identification and go through a screening process.