Judge Blocks Trump Policies Limiting Congressional ICE Visits

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration must temporarily halt policies limiting members of Congress from conducting unannounced visits to immigration detention facilities and field offices operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb blocked two measures implemented by the Department of Homeland Security in June, which required lawmakers to provide seven days' notice before entering such sites and excluded ICE field offices from routine oversight access. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by 12 Democratic members of the House of Representatives, who argued the policies violated federal appropriations law and obstructed their ability to monitor conditions inside the facilities.

The plaintiffs, including Representatives Joe Neguse and Jason Crow of Colorado, Adriano Espaillat of New York, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, contended that the restrictions prevented effective oversight amid reports of overcrowding, poor sanitation, and potential staff misconduct at the centers. They were denied entry to several facilities and field offices after the new rules took...