Rep. Pramila Jayapal, U.S. Congresswoman representing Washington’s 7th district since 2017, shared updates on her recent activities in Seattle and at the Northwest Detention Center through a series of posts on February 19, 2026.
In her first post at 20:02 UTC, Jayapal wrote: “It was great to meet Seattle Public Schools’ new Superintendent Ben Schuldiner to welcome him to Seattle, discuss his priorities for the district, and strategize on how we can protect students and families from ICE presence by school campuses. Looking forward to working with https://t.co/yV4WUdG1s7”.
Later that day at 20:16 UTC, she addressed her visit to the Northwest Detention Center: “Today I’m at the Northwest Detention Center to do my duty as a Member of Congress and conduct oversight. I even gave them 8 days notice that I was coming — something I shouldn’t have to do. Despite having privacy release forms, they are refusing to let me talk to detained https://t.co/ktjEPQNFwz”.
She provided an update at 22:01 UTC stating: “UPDATE: I’ve been at the Northwest Detention Facility for over 3 hours and am still being denied my congressional duty to conduct oversight. What are they so afraid of that they won’t let me meet with detainees? I will not give up. https://t.co/UmYSRpK28Y”.
Jayapal has represented Washington’s 7th District in Congress since succeeding Jim McDermott in 2017. She previously served in the Washington State Senate from 2014 to 2016 and is based in Seattle. Born in Chennai in 1965, Jayapal holds degrees from Georgetown University and Northwestern University.
