Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said he was stopped from going into an immigration detention center in Texas.
Police were also called to the scene of the incident.
The senator arrived at the Casa Padre facility in Brownsville to criticize an administration policy that could result in more undocumented immigrant children being separated from their parents, according to HuffPost.
A video of the incident was posted to Merkley's Facebook page on Sunday night.
In the video, Merkley is seen standing in the parking lot pointing to the building.
"This is a former Walmart that has been turned into a center for children," Merkley said. "So, behind those doors are apparently many hundreds of children. I don't know how many. Why are they there?
He goes on to point out that Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Justice Department would increase prosecutions of families who cross over the border illegally – even if it meant kids would be taken away from their parents in the process.
Merkley is seen going to the door of the facility and requesting a tour of the facility. Police arrive a short time later.
The senator later tweeted: "I was barred entry. Asked repeatedly to speak to a supervisor—he finally came out and said he can't tell us anything. Police were called on us. Children should never be ripped from their families & held in secretive detention centers. RT if you agree this is WRONG."
He told police: "The reason why I came is this new policy that the attorney general has in place of families that are waiting for the adjudication of their application for asylum in the U.S., and the children are being separated."
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