A group of House Democrats, led by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), asked a federal judge on Monday to block the Department of Homeland Security from continuing to enforce a policy that restricts federal lawmakers from visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities without advanced notice.
Last week, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem issued a new memo that requires lawmakers to submit oversight visit requests to ICE field offices and detention centers at least seven days in advance. The directive follows a June 2025 memo that outlined the same time frame for a valid request to be made.
The new policy differs in one key aspect, however. Noem ordered ICE to oversee congressional visits “exclusively with money appropriated” by President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.