Poet Ada Limón’s Instructions on Not Giving Up
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Saturday, December 20, 2025
Friday, December 19, 2025
The Snapshot
Friday, December 19, 2025. As the release of the Epstein documents finally is upon us Republicans in Congress scurry off like roaches.
MS NOW's Ali Vitali notes this morning, "And today is the deadline for the Justice Dept to release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein."
Jeffrey Epstein was a “terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with.” He and Donald J. Trump also had “no formal relationship.” They went to a lot of the same parties. But they “did not socialize together.” They were never really friends, just business acquaintances. Or “there was no relationship” at all. “I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”
For nearly a quarter-century, Mr. Trump and his representatives have offered shifting, often contradictory accounts of his relationship with Mr. Epstein, one sporadically captured by society photographers and in news clips before they fell out sometime in the mid-2000s. Closely scrutinized since Mr. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell during Mr. Trump’s first term, their friendship — and questions about what the president knew of Mr. Epstein’s abuses — now threatens to consume his second one.
The controversy has shaken Mr. Trump’s iron hold on his base like no other. Loyal supporters have demanded to know why the administration has not moved more quickly to unearth the convicted sex offender’s remaining secrets. In November, after resisting months of pressure to release more Epstein-related documents held by the federal government — and facing an almost unheard-of revolt among Republican lawmakers — Mr. Trump reversed himself, signing legislation that requires their release beginning this week.
Mr. Epstein had a talent for acquiring powerful friends, some of whom have become ensnared in the continuing scrutiny of his crimes. For months, Mr. Trump has labored furiously to shift himself out of the frame, dismissing questions about his relationship with Mr. Epstein as a “Democrat hoax” and imploring his supporters to ignore the matter entirely. An examination of their history by The New York Times has found no evidence implicating Mr. Trump in Mr. Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of minors.
Beginning in the late 1980s, the two men forged a bond intense enough to leave others who knew them with the impression that they were each other’s closest friend, The Times found. Mr. Epstein was then a little-known financier who cultivated mystery around the scope and source of his self-made wealth. Mr. Trump, six years older, was a real estate scion who relished publicity and exaggerated his successes. Neither man drank or did drugs. They pursued women in a game of ego and dominance. Female bodies were currency.
Over nearly two decades, as Mr. Trump cut a swath through the party circuits of New York and Florida, Mr. Epstein was perhaps his most reliable wingman. During the 1990s and early 2000s, they prowled Mr. Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and Mr. Trump’s Plaza Hotel, at least one of Mr. Trump’s Atlantic City casinos and both their Palm Beach homes. They visited each other’s offices and spoke often by phone, according to other former Epstein employees and women who spent time in his homes.
At THE NEW REPUBLIC, Hafiz Rashid covers another photo release:
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released new photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate Thursday, and in some of them, handwritten lines from the book Lolita are visible on the bodies of unidentified girls or women.
One of the photos shows “Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth” written on someone’s collarbone, above her chest. A passage on a foot reads, “She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock.” “She was Lola in slacks” is visible on another person’s body, and a message written on someone’s neck reads, “She was Dolly at school.” And visible, written vertically along a person’s back, is the line, “She was Delores on the dotted line.”
The photos were released through a Dropbox account, and nothing in the upload indicates who the photos are of or when they were taken. Lolita, written in 1955 by Vladimir Nabakov, is about a professor who kidnaps and sexually abuses a 12-year-old girl, which seems on the nose for a convicted sex offender and trafficker like Epstein.
Also covering the photos is THE NEWSHOUR's Liz Landers:
Around 70 photographs come from Epstein’s computer and email accounts, and shed more light on his lifestyle and social circles. The photographs, among 95,000 handed over by Epstein’s estate last week, were provided to the committee without context.
One image shows former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates standing next to a woman, whose face is redacted. Another shows Noam Chomsky seated next to Epstein on a plane. Several images show a social gathering over a meal and several faces of powerful or public figures, including Epstein. A separate image that appears to be from the same room shows Google co-founder Sergey Brin and New York Times columnist David Brooks, who is a regular contributor to the PBS News Hour. The photos are undated.
A New York Times spokesperson said in a statement, “As a journalist, David Brooks regularly attends events to speak with noted and important business leaders to inform his columns, which is exactly what happened at this 2011 event. Mr. Brooks had no contact with him before or after this single attendance at a widely-attended dinner.”
This photo release is the latest from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, not from the Justice Dept. Why are they releasing this? Is it helpful? Those are the sort of questions we got yesterday when we were speaking.
Is it helpful?
I don't know that yesterday's release of photos was? There's enough to cover and curate from the last release. And to do a release before the Justice Dept does their own seems a bit of a distraction and possibly overwhelming the news cycle.
But there's a possibility that the Committee members are signaling to the Justice Dept what they have access to. Pam Bondi asks, for example, "Do we have to release this?" An underling replies, "They've probably got it already AG Bimbo, they've released photos and documents in the surrounding timeline."
Something like that would be a good reason for yesterday's release.
Otherwise, you risk overwhelming people with information.
It gets to be too much to process.
Bondi's madly censoring documents as we speak -- refer to this video.
Which is why, if Bondi had a brain, she'd be releasing everything. A massive data dump would overwhelm outlets and commentators. A selective trickle only allows them to focus more sharply on what is released.
Robert Tait (GUARDIAN) explains:
After months of delay and stalling, the Trump administration is legally obliged to publish a massive archive of documents that could shine fresh light on Epstein’s misdeeds and his connections with key public figures, including Donald Trump himself.
Under the terms of the Epstein Files Transparency Act – passed by Congress in November following months of resistance from the White House – Pam Bondi, the attorney general, must release by midnight on Friday “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” linked to Epstein, his jailed associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and individuals named in connection with his criminal activities.
Stephen Fowler (NPR's MORNING EDITION) adds:
More specifically, the law targets the release of information about individuals affiliated with Epstein's criminal activities, any decisions not to charge Epstein and his associates and "entities (corporate, nonprofit, academic, or governmental) with known or alleged ties to Epstein's trafficking or financial networks."
The files include "more than 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence" in the FBI's custody and internal Justice Department records from criminal cases against Epstein. Some files include photos and videos of Epstein's accusers, including minors, and other depictions of abuse that will be withheld.
The text of the law that passed Congress with near-unanimous support also reads that "no record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."
Ahead of the release, Congressional Republicans tended to scatter like roaches. One who didn't is US House Rep ThomasMassie.
Complicating matters is Epstein's partner in crime Ghislaine Maxwell who is still alive and is desperate for attention.
Jeffrey
Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell
asked a federal judge on Wednesday to set aside her sex trafficking
conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence, saying
“substantial new evidence” has emerged proving that constitutional
violations spoiled her trial.
Maxwell
maintained in a habeas petition she has promised to file since August
that information that would have resulted in her exoneration at her 2021
trial was withheld and false testimony was presented to the jury.
She said the cumulative effect of the constitutional violations resulted in a “complete miscarriage of justice.”
Maxwell’s
filing comes at a politically sensitive moment, as the Justice
Department faces a congressional deadline to release records related to
federal investigations into Epstein.
Courts in
New York and Florida have recently authorized the unsealing of some
grand jury materials connected to those cases, increasing public
scrutiny of how prosecutors handled evidence over many years.
[. . .]
Maxwell
was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking and related offenses for
helping her former partner, Jeffrey Epstein, recruit, groom and
transport underage girls for sexual abuse between the mid-1990s and
early 2000s.
The filing marks Maxwell’s latest attempt to overturn a sentence that has already survived multiple appeals.
Maxwell
who is representing herself?
On those grounds alone it should be
denied. She's been on trial, she's been convicted. With legal help
multiple appeals have been filed. She comes from money and her trashy
family still has money. So if this was important to her -- this
countless appeal -- she should spring for an attorney. Our overtaxed
legal system doesn't have time to humor rich people who are too cheap
to pay for their constant appeals.
And that's before you look at the
items she's listed which supposedly count as 'new evidence,' sorry, most
of that will be tossed right out of court. And should be. Then she
should be told that she has exhausted the system and wasted the court's
time. If she wanted to talk, she should have taken the stand at her
trial. She's trash, she's garbage and she's a criminal who has been
convicted for her crimes and keeps trying to find a loophole. She had
her day in court. 20 years was a generous sentence for her crimes.
She's now blackmailed her way into a cushy Club Fed prison. Rules have
been repeatedly broken to make her more comfortable. It's time for her
to shut up and stop adding stress to an already clogged court system.
You're
a pedophile, Ghislaine. The only thing that can maybe change that is a
time machine that lets you go back and alter your evil ways.
You
granted no appeal from any of the girls and women you tried to destroy so
have a lot of nerve pretending yet again that you're the injured party.
If videos aren't showing above, I'm sorry. I dictate the snapshot but I have gone in and done ten minutes of HTML work trying to get them to work. I don't know what's going on there. It looks like, and I could be wrong, whatever's effecting it is not impacting GOOGLECHROME browser.
Okay, let's note this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
***LETTER HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, and 18 of their Senate colleagues in a letter urging the Trump administration to immediately address and reverse the staffing crisis at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which has lost the capacity to properly manage most of America’s wildlife refuges — putting in jeopardy the ability to protect endangered wildlife species under the Service’s care.
In their letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and FWS Director Brian Nesvik, the Senators highlight the direct impacts cuts in staffing are having on the 573 national wildlife refuges across the country — with almost 60 percent of them lacking the resources and staff needed to fulfill their missions.
“Americans of all backgrounds love their public lands, and protecting wildlife refuges is a bipartisan cause that brings together environmentalists, sportsmen, and all who enjoy the outdoor recreation opportunities provided by America’s National Wildlife Refuge System. The Refuge System is the only federal network of public lands that is primarily dedicated to the conservation, management, and restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant species and their habitats,” the senators wrote.
The senators also emphasized that operating with few or no employees has also hurt disaster resilience because FWS employees carry out projects to control flooding and prevent catastrophic wildfires. “This downward trend did not begin under the Trump administration. Yet the current administration has not only shown an unwillingness to address the problem—it has made the situation far worse. The President’s Fiscal Year 26 budget request slashed funding for FWS’s overall Resource Management account, which included a proposed 22 percent cut to the National Wildlife Refuge System. Moreover, the administration has indicated that it is planning more firings for public land agencies,” the senators continued. “The consequences of slashing the FWS workforce are already being felt across the nation. The collapse of staffing capacity within the Refuge System leaves refuges open to damage, vandalism, flooding, fire, and loss of protection and conservation measures for threatened and endangered wildlife species who rely on these refuges for survival. FWS staffing losses also hurt resilience because FWS employees carry out projects to control flooding and prevent catastrophic wildfires.”
In addition to Senators Murray and Schiff, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Edward Markey (D-MA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Senator Murray is a leading voice pushing back against the Trump administration’s attacks on federal agencies. In February, she released a fact sheet on how staffing cuts at federal agencies under the Trump administration would jeopardize critical functions of agencies, including the 2,300 employees laid off at the Department of the Interior and FWS at the beginning of this year. She and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (D, WA-02) led the Washington Democratic Congressional delegation in a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in August, urging him to reverse the Trump administration’s disastrous decision to eliminate funding for Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs), a blow to widely supported salmon recovery and habitat restoration efforts that also impacted FWS staffing. As Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray has consistently fought to secure funding for fish and wildlife conservation projects in Washington state and across the country.
The lawmakers’ full letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Secretary Burgum and Director Nesvik:
We write to sound the alarm on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) staffing crisis, which is causing particular harm to the National Wildlife Refuge System. A startling amount of staff and expertise needed to manage the Refuge System and protect America’s wildlife have been lost due to the administration’s firings, early retirement programs, and other efforts to push staff out of FWS. The agency is losing the capacity to manage America’s wildlife refuges and struggling to even keep them open. We ask that you provide Congress with your plan to address FWS’s staffing crisis and immediately act to ensure that FWS and the Refuge System have the staff and resources needed to guarantee a safe, quality experience for visitors to the Refuge System and to protect the invaluable wildlife species under the agency’s care.
Americans of all backgrounds love their public lands, and protecting wildlife refuges is a bipartisan cause that brings together environmentalists, sportsmen, and all who enjoy the outdoor recreation opportunities provided by America’s National Wildlife Refuge System. The Refuge System is the only federal network of public lands that is primarily dedicated to the conservation, management, and restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant species and their habitats. There are 573 national wildlife refuges across the country, with a footprint in every state. The Refuge System also utilizes a unique conservation approach through community-based initiatives that provide recreational and sporting opportunities and other localized needs. According to FWS, wildlife refuge recreation generates $3.2 billion in local economic activity each year. Every dollar that is invested in the Refuge System generates $3.12 in U.S. economic activity, a tremendous return on investment for the American taxpayer.
However, according to recently released internal agency documents, almost 60 percent of the nation’s wildlife refuges lack the resources and staff needed to fulfill their missions. FWS has experienced a staggering 29 percent loss of employees who work for the Refuge System. This downward trend did not begin under the Trump administration. Yet the current administration has not only shown an unwillingness to address the problem—it has made the situation far worse. The President’s Fiscal Year 26 budget request slashed funding for FWS’s overall Resource Management account, which included a proposed 22 percent cut to the National Wildlife Refuge System. Moreover, the administration has indicated that it is planning more firings for public land agencies.
Staffing reductions have negatively impacted national wildlife refuges across the country, forcing multiple wildlife refuges to operate with few or no employees. FWS’s internal estimates indicate that 9 percent of wildlife refuges are now classified as “shuttered.” It appears that FWS has abandoned these refuges, as there may not be a single employee on the ground to manage the refuge.
The consequences of slashing the FWS workforce are already being felt across the nation. The collapse of staffing capacity within the Refuge System leaves refuges open to damage, vandalism, flooding, fire, and loss of protection and conservation measures for threatened and endangered wildlife species who rely on these refuges for survival. FWS staffing losses also hurt resilience because FWS employees carry out projects to control flooding and prevent catastrophic wildfires.
It has also become more difficult for the agency to meet deadlines to list species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, an already challenging but essential obligation. This delay in work pushes endangered species closer to extinction and prevents infrastructure projects from moving forward, as they may encounter difficulties with acquiring needed permits amid such regulatory uncertainty.
Considering the alarming scale of FWS’s staffing crisis, we request answers to the following by January 2, 2026:
1. Will you commit to reversing the staffing losses at FWS? What is your plan to address FWS’s debilitating loss in capacity?
2. Has the Administration considered the impact of decimating the FWS workforce on the economics of gateway communities?
3. Does the Administration still plan on moving forward with firing more FWS employees, even as those firings are being stopped by federal courts?
4. How is FWS planning to meet deadlines to list species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act?
Protecting natural resources for Americans has always been a bipartisan effort and it is important that FWS has the workforce required to meet its core mandates. Thank you, and we look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
###
And let's note this from THE BLACK COMMENTATOR:
Our email address is BlackCommentator@gmail.com
Our voicemail number is 856.823.1739
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Thursday, December 18, 2025
The Snapshot
Thursday, December 17, 2025. They're going after Jasmine now -- not the GOP, the fake-asses who pretend to be Democrats, the first to jump from the sinking ship of the USS CHUMP FAILURE emerges, Pam Bondi's going after transgender people and those who support them, and much more.
Lets start with Jasmine Crockett.
Some people are not going to be highlighted for their YOUTUBE programs. I'm not in the mood to watch you White assholes attack another Black woman the way you did Kamala. Are you 'progressives' just wanting for everyone to see you as the racists you truly are?
I'm not in the damn mood. I do know Texas voters. Not only do we have a huge amount of community members in Texas, I speak there regularly and not just starting this year. So screw you if you're trying to argue Jasmine can't win or that "We need Jasmine in the House."
When Democrats in Congress were shaking in their boots at the start of this year, Jasmine pushed back. Jasmine gave the others courage to speak out.
Women in Texas will -- and have -- crossed party lines. They'll do it for a workhorse -- Ann Richards or Annette Straus to name but two. They won't do it for a Barbie doll not even if she's called Abortion Barbie. But for a woman they see working, that they see taking the powerful on? They'll cross the party line.
And it's Jasmine that's in the lead.
Brian Tyler Cohen? We don't need you in this community and a lot of the rest of you can find that out as well.
And you're racist and you're sexist if you're saying, "We need her in the House.' WTF you piece of trash BTC viewer. Truth be told, Texas needs White boy to keep his ass in the state legislature so that maybe Texas Democrats can really fight back for a change.
And he's done nothing but be White. That's why you love him. He's White and he's got a cock.
And that trumps all the leadership Jasmine's shown -- to you racists and sexists at least.
We will be pruning from the list of people we used to highlight YOUTUBE videos from
I'm not going along with the trashing of Jasmine.
Shame on those who do and who take part in it.
It's amazing that these racists-sexists -- they're both -- think they can tell a Black woman "Now is not your time" to clear the field for a woefully unqualified White man.
You already did that by treating Gaza as the most important issue in the US. It isn't. It wasn't. It ain't never going to be.
What was it? The first real opportunity to build consensus and push for change.
But Gaza Freaks destroyed that. They attacked Kamala with lies. They supported the White man -- because the majority of them were White -- that includes Rashida -- Arab is considered White you racist and uneducated bigots. And Chump's continued that war and did you miss his non-stop praise this week? He conflates Jewish with Israel. And, no, they aren't the same thing. One is a religion and one is a nation-state. But he's the one you supported, the one too stupid in 2023 (or since) to get what so many others finally grasped -- Jewish and Israel are not the same thing, many Jews around the world disapprove of Netanyahu's actions. And we were building on that, those of us who truly care about the Palestinians, we saw it was the moment, we knew the history and knew this was the time.. But Gaza Freaks (Socialists in closets who lie about everything including pretending to be Democrats) you had to f**k everything up and give it to Chump and now you same Gaza Freaks are too damn scared to protest him and call him out. You're too damn scared to fight for the Palestinian people. You brought this on the Palestinians and it's your fault and that includes Palestinian Americans who attacked Kamala.
And you Gaza Freaks didn't just attack Kamala, you attacked Black people in the US. It's the detail that Sam Seder forever 'forgets' in his never ending 'analysis.'
"Keep Palestinians names out of your mouth!" Fine. You're on your own now. And we see you do what? Not a damn thing. Because you honestly didn't do that much to begin with
Grifter Jill Stein was never a choice. The election was between Kamala and Chump. And Kamala wasn't good enough for you. We would have had a different policy under Kamala. And we could have protested during a Kamala presidency.
But a bunch of cheap, racists- sexists idiots put Chump back in the White House.
Do you know how many Palestinians have died since Chump was inaugurated?
No, you don't. You don't know much of anything.
You just cower.
And whine.
And then attack Chuck Schumer for that sort of behavior this year -- as though you're not doing the same.
Jasmine stood up and spoke out and is a leader.
I'm not going to let you rip her apart as you advance a White man because -- with no polling to back you up -- you think it's an easy win for him.
Really? You think the rumors that the GOP spreads -- takes to the parking lots of Trade Day Weekend (a huge, monthly giant swap meet in Canton, Texas) aren't going to touch your wonder boy. Do you not know the rumor mill the GOP runs in Texas? Or how Ken Paxton stays in the race after cheating on his wife? Because people can relate to that -- mainly due to John Cornyn being too chicken to really go after Ken and send him packing from the GOP primary.
Cornyn's allowed Paxton to set the terms.
And people an relate to marital problems.
Many people in Texas will not relate to a 36-year-old unmarried male, never married male. Whose most recent statement further created problems as he claimed that his work had been his focus.
That's not a message most people are going to relate to.
It's cute to watch your 'progressives' (Socialists) who attacked Chuck Schumer in the early part of this year because you're now doing basically what you accused Chuck of: doing the easy thing and not fighting back.
And you better be worried right now. Because the Black community -- having already seen the attacks on Kamala -- are not going to rush to the polls to support a party that hid behind Jasmine for basically the whole year -- they did, that's others in Congress, that's Democrat rank-in-file -- and let her be out there alone and now wants to act as though all she did this year didn't count?
A number of us walked away. A number are still on vacation and may not come back in time for the mid-terms. You screw Jasmine over and you are playing with fire. I respect those who went on vacation but you screw over Jasmine and I no longer have any solid reason to make the case for voting Democrat -- especially when speaking to Black audiences -- you know, the people the bulk of YOUTUBERS can't get to watch your White White videos. We'll circle the wagons on this because enough is enough. Kamala was attacked repeatedly. Black people? We were attacked for supporting her. I'm not talking about Chump or the GOP. I'm talking about Socialists posing as Democrats were attacking us. We weren't allowed a minute of pride for the moment, for Kamala's historic campaign. And you think you can get away with this again with regards to Jasmine? You think you can attack her and, worse, you think you're so cleaver we won't understand what's going on.
You insult her with statements about how she's needed in the House and should drop out. You think we don't see you trashing a Black woman when you do that. Jasmine's in Congress. James isn't. James is a lowly state legislator with no real power and no real image other than the crafted b.s. that his enablers have pimped. And I didn't say a word about that prior to today. Not one word.
But now there's online army going after Jasmine.
Look around, we're largely avoiding your No Kings protests. (I have participated and will continue to do so.) We're avoiding your mass actions because we know you're hiding behind us. We're the ones who'll be the first to be attacked at any protest. Because of skin color. And elected Democrats who are White largely hid behind Jasmine and lets her take the attacks.
You don't understand how we see it. And that's because you don't want to. What we saw and continue to see? It's out in public. I'm sorry that you're Sam Seder won't cover it. It's been covered in the Black blogosphere. So if at this late date, you don't know about it, it's honestly because you don't want to know about it.
Here's Roland Martin talking about what's going on.
Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
Murray, lawmakers: “We urge you to promptly review these concerns and take immediate steps to improve conditions and practices at NWIPC… Violations of the law or any abuse of human rights will not go unnoticed or unchallenged.”
ICYMI: Senator Murray Condemns Egregious Use of Force by ICE as Constituent is Mauled by Attack Dog, Demands Release from NWIPC to Receive Appropriate Medical Care
KUOW: Inside the black box of ICE detention in Tacoma, she watched her wedding day come and go
***LETTER HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led Members of the Washington state Congressional delegation in a letter to Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, expressing grave concerns with conditions at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma, Washington and demanding answers to a long list of questions regarding overcrowding and lack of access to medical services, food, and legal counsel for individuals detained at the facility. The population at NWIPC has ballooned over the past year under the Trump administration’s indiscriminate and cruel mass deportation campaign, nearing—and at times exceeding—the facility’s maximum capacity of 1,575.
Joining Senator Murray in sending the letter to ICE were: Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).
“Our offices have received reports from local service providers and advocates that conditions and access to services at NWIPC have deteriorated in the last year as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has chosen to detain more individuals at the facility,” the Members wrote in their letter. “In June, detained individuals were reportedly transferred to Alaska—far away from their families and legal representatives—because NWIPC reached capacity. None of this is remotely acceptable—you and the entire Trump administration have a basic moral and legal obligation to the people who have been detained and are under your care.”
“It is well established at this point that this administration is not prioritizing detaining violent criminals, but instead is detaining mostly peaceful, law-abiding immigrants with no criminal record who work hard and contribute to our communities,” the lawmakers continued. “With this in mind, we urge ICE to release noncitizens who do not pose a threat to public safety and to ensure necessary staff levels at NWIPC to protect the safety and basic dignity of the people in its custody.”
In the letter, the Members raise concern over the lack of medical care for individuals detained at NWIPC and other ICE facilities, writing: “We are deeply concerned that the facility does not have sufficient medical staff and dedicated space to adequately provide medical care to the increased number of detained noncitizens. Additionally, we are incredibly concerned about challenges detainees face in accessing behavioral health care and other specialty care.”
Recently, Senator Murray called attention to the violent assault of Wilmer Toledo-Martinez in Vancouver, Washington—condemning the officers who sicced an attack dog on Wilmer, despite him not resisting arrest, and calling for Wilmer to be immediately released from ICE custody. Wilmer is currently being held at NWIPC, where he has been unable to obtain adequate medical care. In a visit to NWIPC by Senator Murray’s staff in August, facility staff indicated that NWIPC only employed four behavioral health staffers for a population of approximately 1,500 detainees. There were reports of at least two suicide attempts at NWIPC in April. In July 2024, after the death of a man detained at NWIPC, Senator Murray requested a comprehensive review of the quality and accessibility of medical services for individuals in ICE custody from the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—that review is currently underway.
The lawmakers’ letter also draws attention to reports from advocates that at least three pregnant women detained at NWIPC over the past year have been unable to receive appropriate medical care. Advocates also shared that at least one pregnant woman was shackled during transportation, which violates agency policy and raises concerns that medical information, such as whether a woman is pregnant, is not being properly documented by the facility. Senator Murray has long fought against the mistreatment of pregnant women in detention, including by pushing for her legislation—the Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act—to end the practice of shackling pregnant women in ICE detention. Murray also led an oversight letter to ICE in September demanding answers and accountability about the mistreatment of pregnant women in detention facilities under the Trump administration.
The Members continued by raising concerns over the inadequate provision of meals at NWIPC and difficulty that detained individuals have in accessing legal counsel, writing: “Attorneys have faced significant delays to meet with their clients, making adequate legal counsel more difficult. This has become especially challenging when immigration courts advance noncitizens’ hearings by months without sufficient warning. At times, attorneys have had to wait at the facility for up to 6 hours to see their clients.”
The letter concludes by requesting answers to a list of questions by January 16th regarding capacity and staffing levels at NWIPC, the provision of food and medical care, access to legal counsel, treatment of pregnant women, and recent facility visits. “Please understand that we are paying close attention to the conditions at NWIPC—and your management of this facility,” the Members wrote. “We urge you to promptly review these concerns and take immediate steps to improve conditions and practices at NWIPC to comply with existing standards and laws and ensure that people in immigration detention are being treated with basic dignity and respect. Violations of the law or any abuse of human rights will not go unnoticed or unchallenged.”
Senator Murray and other members of Washington state’s Congressional delegation have been conducting oversight of NWIPC throughout this year, despite the Trump administration’s efforts to block Congressional oversight of federal immigration detention facilities. After a protracted legal battle over Washington state’s ability to enforce health and safety standards at NWIPC, a federal appeals court ruled in August that the state should be allowed to enforce such standards at the detention center, and that failure to comply could result in fines of up to $10,000 per violation.
Senator Murray has championed comprehensive and humane immigration reform throughout her time in Congress, and has consistently pushed for greater oversight of conditions at NWIPC. In 2024 at a Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing, Murray asked then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to commit to an independent investigation of conditions at NWIPC and pressed him on the overuse of solitary confinement at ICE detention facilities—which Senator Murray has consistently spoken out against. While Chair of Appropriations, Senator Murray secured language in the Homeland Security Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024—which was signed into law in March 2024—to ensure stronger oversight of federal detention facilities and provisions to increase transparency. Senator Murray is also an original cosponsor of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which would set humane standards for detention facilities and increase oversight. Murray was outspoken in her opposition to the Laken Riley Act earlier this year, arguing it threatened civil liberties and would divert resources away from detaining true threats to public safety.
The lawmakers’ full letter to ICE is available HERE and below:
We are writing to share our grave concerns with conditions at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma, Washington and to request information about access to medical services, food, and legal counsel for detained noncitizens at the facility. Our offices have received reports from local service providers and advocates that conditions and access to services at NWIPC have deteriorated in the last year as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has chosen to detain more individuals at the facility. In June, detained individuals were reportedly transferred to Alaska—far away from their families and legal representatives—because NWIPC reached capacity.
None of this is remotely acceptable—you and the entire Trump
administration have a basic moral and legal obligation to the people who
have been detained and are under your care.
You must ensure the
facility complies with the 2011 Performance-Based National Detention
Standards as revised in 2016 (PBNDS 2011) to keep detained noncitizens
safe and healthy while protecting the rights they are entitled to under
law.
It is well established at this point that this
administration is not prioritizing detaining violent criminals, but
instead is detaining mostly peaceful, law-abiding immigrants with no
criminal record who work hard and contribute to our communities. With
this in mind, we urge ICE to release noncitizens who do not pose a
threat to public safety and to ensure necessary staff levels at NWIPC to
protect the safety and basic dignity of the people in its custody.
Medical Care
The federal government has a moral and legal obligation to protect the health of individuals in its custody. We have had long-standing concerns about access to medical services in ICE detention facilities. In recent years, several members of the Washington Congressional delegation requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of the quality and accessibility of medical services for individuals in ICE custody. At times this year, NWIPC has exceeded 1,500 individuals in custody, nearing the facility’s maximum capacity of 1,575 individuals. We are deeply concerned that the facility does not have sufficient medical staff and dedicated space to adequately provide medical care to the increased number of detained noncitizens.
Additionally, we are incredibly concerned about challenges detainees face in accessing behavioral health care and other specialty care. During an August 2025 site visit, facility staff indicated the facility employed only four behavioral health staffers. There were reports of at least two suicide attempts at NWIPC in April. It is plainly inadequate to have four behavioral health staff serving the 1,500 detainees under the facility’s care, especially given the fact that serious behavioral health issues frequently emerge under the severe stress of detention. We are also alarmed by reports from advocates with access to the facility that at least three detained pregnant women at NWIPC have been unable to receive appropriate medical care, even after they request specialty prenatal care appointments. Regular exams such as ultrasounds are necessary to monitor development and ensure a healthy pregnancy. Advocates also shared that at least one pregnant woman was shackled during transportation, which violates agency policy and raises concerns that medical information, such as whether a woman is pregnant, is not being properly documented by the facility.
Food
The Seattle Times recently reported on the inadequate provision of meals at NWIPC as the detained population has increased. Advocates who speak with detainees have shared that meals are provided late and, in some cases, detainees did not receive three meals per day. Detainees have made complaints about food and sanitation for many years, and we urge the facility to be responsive to the nutritional needs of individuals in its custody. Legal service providers with access to the facility have also shared that detainees waiting for video teleconferencing (VTC) hearings may miss meals. We urge the facility to ensure that all detained noncitizens, including those awaiting hearings or visits, are provided a minimum of three meals per day, as required by national detention standards (PBNDS 2011).
Access to Legal Counsel
Access to legal resources for noncitizens in immigration detention supports their ability to understand their rights and navigate immigration court, preventing backlogs in the immigration court system. Detained noncitizens at NWIPC face several concerning barriers to accessing legal counsel. Attorneys have faced significant delays to meet with their clients, making adequate legal counsel more difficult. This has become especially challenging when immigration courts advance noncitizens’ hearings by months without sufficient warning. At times, attorneys have had to wait at the facility for up to 6 hours to see their clients. This August, two of the seven attorney visitation rooms were being used as Virtual Attorney Visitation rooms (VAVs) and two were being used for video teleconferencing (VTC) hearings, leaving only three rooms available for attorneys to meet with their clients in person. We have also heard from advocates with access to the facility that, at times, only one visitation room was available and interviews for facility staff were being conducted in these attorney visitation rooms.
In the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress provided $10,000,000 for ICE to improve legal resources for noncitizen detainees, including to expand video attorney visitation. During an August 2025 site visit, NWIPC staff indicated that the facility recently implemented a new scheduling system to reserve attorney visitation rooms. We ask that the facility work with attorneys to resolve any issues that arise with the new system expeditiously so as not to delay access to legal counsel. We urge you to improve access to legal counsel by ensuring attorney visitation rooms remain available for attorneys to meet with their clients.
Given these concerns, we request answers to the following questions by January 16, 2026:
- What is the maximum capacity of NWIPC, as determined by the fire marshal? As of November 1, 2025, how many individuals were detained at the facility?
- How many staff were employed by NWIPC on January 20, 2025? Of this cohort, how many were trained and certified medical services providers who routinely provided direct medical services?
- As of November 1, 2025, how many staff were employed by NWIPC? Of this cohort, how many were trained and certified medical services providers who routinely provide direct medical services?
- As of November 1, 2025, how many pregnant women were detained at NWIPC? How often have these women requested, and how often have they received, prenatal care appointments with a specialist?
- How many days in the last six months has the facility not provided three meals each day to every noncitizen in its custody?
- Why did the facility not provide three meals each day to every noncitizen?
- For each day, for how many noncitizens were three meals not provided?
- What is the current status of the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) at NWIPC? Are noncitizens able to access LOP daily? What are the hours of availability each day? Outside of hours, are there any other restrictions on daily LOP access, and if so, what are they and why are they in place?
- How many attorney visitation rooms are currently available for in-person attorney meetings? How many attorney visitation rooms are currently available for virtual attorney meetings?
- In the last six months, have the attorney visitation rooms been used for a purpose other than attorney-client meetings (in-person or virtual) or video teleconferencing (VTC) hearings?
- When were the most recent facility visits by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General, DHS Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and ICE oversight personnel (whether the Office of Professional Responsibility or otherwise)? What, if any, recommendations were made after each visit? What progress has been made to implement such recommendations?
- OIDO issued a report in November 2024 following an inspection of NWIPC. While 11 of the recommendations have been addressed, one remains outstanding. What progress has been made on implementing the remaining recommendation?
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Please understand that we are paying close attention to the conditions at NWIPC—and your management of this facility.
We
urge you to promptly review these concerns and take immediate steps to
improve conditions and practices at NWIPC to comply with existing
standards and laws and ensure that people in immigration detention are
being treated with basic dignity and respect.
Violations of the law or any abuse of human rights will not go unnoticed or unchallenged.
Sincerely,
###
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