First on CNN: Congressional delegation visits Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk in Louisiana detention centers

A delegation of congressional members traveled to Louisiana Tuesday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk and inspect conditions at the two Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities where the two remain in custody.

A delegation of congressional members traveled to Louisiana Tuesday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk and inspect conditions at the two Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities where the two remain in custody. It’s the first time a congressional delegation has met with Khalil or Ozturk. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate, and Ozturk, a Tufts University PhD student, have been in ICE custody for more than a month after being arrested near their homes by federal agents. The Democrat delegation, led by Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana traveled to Jena, where Khalil is being held, and then two hours south to Basile, where Ozturk is detained. The group includes Reps.Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern, of Massachusetts and Sen. Ed Markey. “Rümeysa Öztürk is my constituent, an accomplished scholar, and a valued member of our Massachusetts community. Like Rümeysa, Mahmoud Kahlil has committed no crime and is being punished by Donald Trump simply for exercising his right to free speech,” Pressley said in a statement to CNN. “Both are being unlawfully detained in ICE facilities thousands of miles away from home, and denied the dignity, medical care, and due process they deserve. We’re in Louisiana to demand answers, shine a light on this damning violation of their constitutional rights, and call for their immediate release.”