Over 100 illegal immigrants are being held in 'federal prison limbo' because other jails have no space for them

An Oregon senator has claimed that over 100 undocumented migrants are being held 'in limbo' in a federal prison because other jails have insufficient space.

Jeff Merkley, who was turned away from a South Texas detention facility he tried to visit earlier this month, went to Sheridan Federal Correctional Institute on Sunday to visit some of the 123 illegal migrants reportedly being held there.

Joined by fellow Democrats Senator Ron Wyden, Representative Suzanne Bonamici and Representative Earl Blumenauer, he spoke with migrants - a majority of whom he said were claiming asylum but had no access to a lawyer.

'They're basically in limbo not knowing what's going on,' he said, as reported in KGW8.

Over 1,600 detained migrants who entered the US illegally have reportedly been sent to federal prisons due to a lack of space elsewhere.

Merkley said he used translators to speak with migrants from China, India, Nepal, Mexico, Brazil and Honduras.

He called the government policy 'morally bankrupt'.

Senator Wyden said his visit showed 'detainees' rights are rights in name only'.

Representative Blumenauer, meanwhile, said the situation was 'abhorrent', while Representative Bonamici said the detainees should be given the chance to 'present their case'.

On Sunday, Merkley and the group visited an old warehouse in South Texas where hundreds of children are being held in cages created by metal fencing. One cage held 20 youngsters.

'Those kids inside who have been separated from their parents are already being traumatized,' said Merkley .

'It doesn't matter whether the floor is swept and the bedsheets tucked in tight.'

On July 3, Merkley was turned away from the McAllen, Texas site after seeking a tour and a conversation with officials about the Trump administration illegal immigrant policy.

He posted a 25-minute video of the political statement on Facebook, which has received more than 14,000 comments.

'It's unacceptable that a member of Congress is not being admitted to see what's happening to children whose families are applying for asylum,' Merkley said outside of the facility.

'If you don't want your child separated, then don't bring them across the border illegally,' U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a speech earlier in April.

Merkley said he made the trip to learn more about the Trump administration's policy of separating children from parents seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, and to 'demand answers' about how the youth were being treated.

'This cruel treatment of children and families arriving to the U.S. is completely un-American and unacceptable,' he said in a statement. 'Americans should be outraged by the fact that our taxpayer dollars are being used to inflict spiteful and traumatizing policies on innocent children.'

The senator had hoped to obtain a tour of the facility, which he claimed housed 'many hundreds of children.'

He said his team had contacted the nonprofit subcontractor that runs the center in advance and was told that he could not have a tour. He went anyway - with video cameras in tow - in hopes of gaining access to the facility, which had all of its windows blacked out.

'They do not want members of Congress seeing what's going on inside,' Merkley said. 'They don't want the public to see what's going on inside.'

'I think that this is a part of a strategy of trying to prevent the public and our decision-makers from really seeing what is going on,' he added. 'A picture is worth a thousand words.'

'Can you imagine you come to this strange land and you've gone through some type of horrific impact abroad and so you're seeking asylum and the first thing that happens when you get here is you're torn away from your parents. What kind of impact does that have on these children?' Merkley asked.

The staff of the facility told Merkley that he was not allowed to be there and that they couldn't comment. After about 15 minutes of broadcasting his visit on Facebook live, the police arrived - apparently in response to calls by people who ran the facility. Soon after, Merkley and his cameramen were asked to leave.

'What are they hiding about the conditions these innocent children are being held in?' Merkley asked later on Twitter.