U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon traveled to a Brownsville, Texas, facility for detained migrant children to demand answers regarding the administration’s policy separating families at the border. Facility officials from the privately-run, nonprofit Southwest Key Programs called the cops on him instead:
In the video, Merkley said he was going to try to tour the facility after his staff attempted to set up a meeting to do so last week. He can be seen walking up to the building, which he says is a former Walmart with blacked-out windows and locked doors, where he is told that he can’t come in, but that her supervisor would come meet the senator outside.
After nearly 20 minutes of pacing outside, a supervisor does finally come out, but only to brush Merkley aside, saying he’s not allowed to give an official statement despite being the facility’s supervisor.
“I can give you guys a number,” he said, dictating a phone number, and Merkley replied that he’s already been in contact with that office. “We contacted them,” he said, “and they said that no member of Congress had been here yet, so this is your first chance to explain that the new policy, of how you’re a nonprofit—“ The supervisor cuts him off.
“So you guys can just call that number, if you guys need any more information,” he said. “But you’re the supervisor,” Merkley replies. The supervisor cuts him off yet again, saying “okay, thank you, I’ll be with you in just a minute,” before going to speak to the police officers who had arrived moments before.
“I would so much appreciate the chance to be here,” Merkley says, smiling, to one in particular, since the supervisor had already left him in the dust to go complain to a police officer.
