Judge Permits Trump Administration to Restrict Lawmaker Access to ICE Facilities
A federal judge in Washington DC has delivered a temporary legal victory to the Trump administration, allowing it to maintain restrictions that prevent elected officials from conducting unannounced inspections of immigration detention camps. This ruling comes as the administration advances other court actions supporting its increased immigration enforcement activities in Minnesota.
Seven-Day Notice Requirement Upheld
Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the Department of Homeland Security can continue to insist that lawmakers provide a week's notice of their intention to inspect immigration facilities, despite having blocked an identical policy just last month. In her four-page ruling, Cobb noted that the DHS now claims to be enforcing the seven-day requirement using funding from a different source - specifically, President Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill" rather than existing appropriations.
"If plaintiffs wish to challenge the legality of a new agency action, plaintiffs may seek leave to amend their complaint or file a supplemental pleading," she wrote, adding that she would consider another temporary restraining order if presented with appropriate legal arguments.
Congressional Oversight Dispute
The Washington DC ruling follows complaints from three Democratic members of Congress from Minnesota - Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison - who claimed DHS officials illegally blocked them from performing authorized congressional oversight when they attempted to inspect an ICE detention center near Minneapolis earlier this month.
Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse and colleagues filed a lawsuit arguing that the restrictions violated Judge Cobb's December ruling that blocked DHS from enforcing the seven-day notice period. Neguse responded to the latest development by stating on social media that "the law is crystal-clear: the administration can't block members of Congress from conducting real-time oversight of immigration detention facilities."
Minnesota Legal Battle Intensifies
Separately, justice department lawyers urged a district court judge in Minneapolis to allow the administration's immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota to continue, responding to a lawsuit filed by the state seeking to end what it called a "federal invasion."
At a press conference announcing the legal action, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said cities were being terrorized by federal actions, including the shooting death of Renee Good, an unarmed US citizen, by an ICE agent. "We allege that DHS's use of excessive and lethal force, their warrantless, racist arrests, their targeting of our courts, our churches, houses of worship and schools are a violation of the Administrative Procedures Act on arbitrary and capricious federal actions," he stated.
Justice Department Response
Justice department lawyers called the Minnesota lawsuit "an absurdity" according to the New York Times, arguing that "it would render the supremacy of federal law an afterthought to local preferences." They claimed that an injunction blocking the operation "would constitute an unprecedented act of judicial overreach."
Judge Katherine Menendez, appointed by Joe Biden and hearing the Minnesota case, made no immediate ruling but indicated she might hold another hearing before deciding on the lawsuit's merits. Menendez is also the judge who issued an order on Friday curtailing ICE's tactics, including "retaliation against protesters" and "the drawing and pointing of weapons; the use of pepper spray and other non-lethal munitions; actual and threatened arrest and detainment of protesters and observers; and other intimidation tactics."
Appeal Filed Against Protest Restrictions
In a related development, the justice department announced it was appealing the injunction issued on Friday that restricted aggressive tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies in dealing with protesters. The DHS informed Judge Menendez on Monday that it had filed an appeal notice with the eighth district court of appeal, though the text of the document was not immediately available.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem backtracked on Sunday from her previous insistence that federal agents had not used chemical substances including pepper spray against crowds protesting ICE actions, instead claiming such measures were necessary to "establish law and order."
The series of legal developments highlights the ongoing tension between federal immigration enforcement priorities and concerns about oversight, transparency, and civil liberties in immigration detention practices across multiple jurisdictions.
