WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration secretly reinstated a policy limiting Congressional members’ access to immigration detention facilities just a day after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis. On Monday, attorneys representing several Democratic lawmakers requested intervention from a federal judge, stating the urgency of the situation.
Three Democratic representatives from Minnesota, namely Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison, and Angie Craig, were blocked from visiting an ICE facility near Minneapolis last Saturday, just three days post the shooting incident involving Renee Good, a U.S. citizen.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb temporarily prohibited ICE from implementing policies that restrict Congress members’ access to such facilities. In a court filing, plaintiffs' lawyers called for an emergency hearing to evaluate whether the newly introduced seven-day notice requirement violates Cobb's earlier order.
Judge Cobb previously indicated that imposing a one-week notice for facility visits likely exceeds the statutory authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The attorneys cite the urgency of oversight in light of ongoing negotiations over DHS and ICE funding, with appropriations due before January 30, which places pressure on lawmakers to obtain critical information regarding ICE facility conditions.
On January 27, the three Congress members attempted to tour the facility but were turned away after initially being permitted entry. Officials cited the newly imposed policy as the reason for their ejection.
According to the attorneys, the day following the shooting incident, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem quietly re-established the seven-day notice rule, an action viewed as an obstruction of congressional oversight.
Cobb, appointed by President Joe Biden, previously ruled against the administration's attempts to restrict access for congressional oversight, supporting a lawsuit involving twelve other Congress members who are also contesting ICE's amended visitor policies.
Government lawyers claimed that the Congress members lacked standing to raise their concerns and argued it is speculation that conditions at ICE facilities could change within a week. However, Cobb dismissed their claims, explaining that fluctuating conditions within ICE could hinder lawmakers from accurately assessing facility conditions based on prior requests.
Legal provisions explicitly prohibit DHS from using general appropriated funds to hinder Congress members’ access to oversight operations. Attorneys from the Democracy Forward Foundation noted the administration hasn’t substantiated claims that no appropriated funds are being utilized to enforce the latest policy.
