Representatives Juan Vargas and Scott Peters said they were denied entry to the Edward J. Schwartz Federal building Monday morning, as they were trying to check in on migrants allegedly being held in the basement of the building.

“We came here as members of Congress under our oversight responsibilities under the Constitution to see what was going on here," Vargas said, who represents California's 51st Congressional district.

Under the law, members of Congress can do oversight visits to facilities, but Peters and Vargas said they were denied access, despite giving about 48 hours notice ahead of their visit.

“The chief said we are not allowed down there, we demanded then to go and see the basement and he refused, now to me, that goes against the law," Vargas added. “We had reports to our

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