A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration’s latest attempt to restrict lawmakers’ access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, delivering another legal setback in an escalating oversight dispute over immigration enforcement.
U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the administration’s new policy — requiring seven days’ notice for certain congressional visits — likely conflicts with oversight protections enacted by Congress. The decision marks the second time Cobb has sided with Democratic lawmakers challenging the administration’s handling of ICE facility inspections.
The dispute centers on a rider attached to the Department of Homeland Security’s annual appropriations package, which guarantees members of Congress the right to conduct oversight visits at immigration detention facilities without prior notice. In December, Cobb determined that the Trump administration had violated that provision.
Last month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem re-implemented a notice requirement, mandating seven days’ warning for visits to ICE facilities funded exclusively by the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Republicans last summer. That legislation did not include the oversight rider found in DHS’s regular appropriations measure.
The administration argued that facilities funded under the newer law were not subject to the same unannounced inspection rules. However, Cobb rejected that reasoning, agreeing with lawmakers that separating expenses based on funding source would be operationally difficult and legally questionable.
“Defendants’ declarant provides almost no details or specifics as to how DHS and ICE would accomplish this task in the face of the practical challenges raised by Plaintiffs,” wrote Cobb, an appointee of former President Biden.
The lawsuit was brought by 13 Democratic members of Congress: Joe Neguse (Colo.), Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Jamie Raskin (Md.), Robert Garcia (Calif.), Lou Correa (Calif.), Jason Crow (Colo.), Veronica Escobar (Texas), Dan Goldman (N.Y.), Jimmy Gomez (Calif.), Raul Ruiz (Calif.), Norma Torrez (Calif.) and Kelly Morrison (Minn.).
The lawmakers intensified their legal challenge after they said they were blocked from visiting an ICE facility in Minnesota three days after the fatal shooting of Renée Good by a federal agent. The incident heightened concerns among Democrats about transparency and accountability inside federal immigration detention centers.
“The Court’s decision today to grant a temporary restraining order against ICE’s unlawful effort to obstruct congressional oversight is a victory for the American people. We will keep fighting to ensure the rule of law prevails,” Neguse, a member of House Democratic leadership, said in a statement.
The Democratic lawmakers are represented by American Oversight and Democracy Forward Foundation, advocacy groups that frequently challenge administration policies in federal court.
The ruling preserves lawmakers’ ability to conduct unannounced visits to ICE detention facilities for now, reinforcing congressional oversight authority while the broader legal battle continues. Further proceedings could determine whether the administration can draw funding-based distinctions in future facility access rules.
