Congress Members Seek Emergency Hearing After Being Blocked From ICE Facility
2 weeks ago
Attorneys for three Democratic members of Congress have asked a federal judge for an emergency hearing after they were blocked from visiting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility near Minneapolis over the weekend. The lawmakers — Reps. Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison and Angie Craig — were initially allowed inside the facility but were told to leave shortly afterward, attorneys say.
The filing, made Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., seeks a hearing before Wednesday and argues the Trump administration reinstated a policy requiring advance notice for congressional visits just one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a Minnesota woman. That policy was previously barred by a judge in
December for exceeding the Department of Homeland Security’s authority and violating federal law governing access to detention facilities.
Lawyers for the lawmakers say the matter is urgent because members of Congress are negotiating funding for DHS and ICE for the upcoming fiscal year and need unimpeded access to conduct oversight. Judge Jia Cobb temporarily blocked the earlier restrictions in December, ruling that requiring notice likely violates statutory protections for congressional oversight visits.
Government attorneys have not yet responded to the emergency hearing request. The legal dispute adds to tensions over federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota following the fatal shooting and ongoing protests.
The filing, made Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., seeks a hearing before Wednesday and argues the Trump administration reinstated a policy requiring advance notice for congressional visits just one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a Minnesota woman. That policy was previously barred by a judge in
December for exceeding the Department of Homeland Security’s authority and violating federal law governing access to detention facilities.
Lawyers for the lawmakers say the matter is urgent because members of Congress are negotiating funding for DHS and ICE for the upcoming fiscal year and need unimpeded access to conduct oversight. Judge Jia Cobb temporarily blocked the earlier restrictions in December, ruling that requiring notice likely violates statutory protections for congressional oversight visits.
Government attorneys have not yet responded to the emergency hearing request. The legal dispute adds to tensions over federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota following the fatal shooting and ongoing protests.
