Overview

• At a Thursday Capitol Hill press conference, Rep. Yassamin Ansari said she Googled “constituent” and defended using the term for undocumented immigrants in ICE custody.
• Ansari said she does not “give a sh*t” whether detainees can vote for her and argued taxpayer dollars should ensure people in federal custody are treated with dignity and respect.
• She cited a recent visit to ICE’s Eloy, Arizona, facility, describing conditions as dehumanizing and recounting a detainee with leukemia who she said lost 55 pounds without access to a specialist.
• Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan criticized her “Googled” remark and said constituents are the voters who elect lawmakers, while asserting the cancer patient she highlighted had been seen by medical staff multiple times.
• Ansari replied that critics missed her focus on alleged mistreatment in custody, as conservative outlets resurfaced her earlier advocacy in El Salvador that drew scrutiny over disputed details about individuals she supported.