‘Just b——-‘: Rep. Pingree says she was lied to about ICE facility in Scarborough

PORTLAND (WGME) – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says what she was told about an ICE facility in Maine is “B.S.”

Pingree says she and her staff got to tour the ICE facility in Scarborough Monday.

She says there was one person being detained while she was there.

The facility has three holding cells, and she says she was told there have never been more than five people inside.

Pingree and an attorney raised concerns about detainees being denied their Constitutional rights to have an attorney present.

“We checked out that office,” Pingree said. “We were told there were space limitations of bringing attorneys, so that’s just b——-, there’s plenty of room in there, you can bring in an attorney or the attorney can stand in the doorway.”

“In my particular case, my client was enrolling in an alternative, was forced to enroll in an alternatives to detention program, where he would have his whereabouts monitored,” Melissa Brennan of ILAP said. “He didn’t even understand what he was signing, and I think what’s most important is that people are deprived of that opportunity to consult with someone, to have that reassurance of having your legal counsel next to you.”

Pingree says she was told no one is held at the detention center overnight.

She says she didn’t see anything inside that was out of line for a facility like this.

CBS13 reached out to ICE for comment late Monday afternoon on Pingree’s visit, and we are waiting to hear back.