Federal Judge Blocks DHS Notice Rule for Congressional ICE Visits

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Monday that the Department of Homeland Security cannot require members of Congress to provide seven days' notice before visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities, marking the third time the court has blocked such a policy from the Trump administration.

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb issued the decision in a lawsuit brought by Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., and more than a dozen other Democratic lawmakers. The ruling permanently enjoins enforcement of the latest version of the policy, announced on Jan. 8 by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, which demanded advance notice for lawmakers seeking unannounced access to the facilities. Cobb determined that the policy likely violates federal law by using appropriated funds in ways Congress prohibited, specifically those intended to ensure lawmakers' unrestricted oversight of DHS operations.

The policy's reinstatement came one day after an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, an incident that drew widespread scrutiny to the agency's practices. Three days later, Reps. Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison and Angie Craig, all D-Minn., were denied...