U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff toured the Customs and Border Protection holding facility at San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday, Oct. 20, raising concerns about detainees’ access to family, medical care and lawyers.

Schiff, a California Democrat and Senate Judiciary Committee member, said in a press release that the visit followed reports of immigrants, including lawful permanent residents, being held for days before transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.

“People are at the whim of what CBP is doing, and they have no recourse, and families are terrified,” Schiff said. “We got some answers today, but I remain concerned about the practices at this facility.”

The airport is near Burlingame. Federal officials operate the holding facility, rather than the airport or the City and County of San Francisco, according to Rep. Kevin Mullin’s office.

Mullin, whose district includes SFO, inspected the facility in August after initially being denied entry. His office described the inspection in a Sept. 1 release. Sen. Alex Padilla made an unannounced visit on Oct. 1, according to his office’s announcement.

Mullin’s office said he saw five detainees in a roughly 3,000-square-foot holding room. It reported restrictions on direct calls to lawyers and prescription access. It also said CBP described available emergency medical personnel and hospital transfers when necessary.

The office said CBP attributed prolonged detention of lawful permanent residents to a policy change and waits for certified court records.

Schiff described improvements to the room, including a shower, reclining chairs and lights that could be dimmed. He nevertheless said it remained unsuitable for lengthy detention, the San Francisco Standard reported.

His concerns included whether people could notify loved ones, obtain necessary medical treatment and contact legal counsel.

The Standard reported Oct. 20 that CBP had not responded to its request for comment.

Schiff’s visit follows a March inquiry with Padilla into information sharing between the Transportation Security Administration and ICE after the arrest and removal of a mother and her minor child at SFO.

In September, Schiff also introduced the Fairness to Freedom Act, which would provide legal representation to people unable to afford it in deportation and other immigration proceedings.

Schiff said he would continue oversight of the administration’s immigration policies.