Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem moved to restrict congressional oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities one day after an ICE agent killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, issuing a directive that limits when and how lawmakers may enter detention and processing centers at a moment of heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement.
In a memo issued Thursday, Noem ordered ICE to bar congressional visits to detention facilities unless lawmakers submit a request at least seven days in advance. The timeline begins when the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Congressional Relations receives the request, and any attempt to shorten that window must be approved directly by Noem.
The directive closely mirrors a policy the agency issued in June that sought to end unannounced visits by members of Congress. That earlier policy was struck down just weeks ago by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb, who wrote that the restrictions likely violated legal mandates requiring lawmakers to conduct oversight of ICE facilities and that the Department of Homeland Security appeared to have exceeded its statutory authority by using funds appropriated by Congress to bar visits.
In her new memo, Noem claimed that Cobb’s ruling does not apply to facilities funded under Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, an argument lawmakers have dismissed as legally baseless.
The practical effect of the policy was evident by Saturday. Minnesota Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig, and Kelly Morrison attempted to conduct an oversight visit at an ICE facility inside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis but were denied access by immigration officials.
Video footage outside the building shows several dozen federal agents blocking the lawmakers from entering. The representatives said one official initially allowed them inside before other officials arrived, rescinded the invitation, and barred them from proceeding further.
“We were told because this facility is being funded by the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ not the congressional appropriations act, that we would not be allowed to enter the facility. That’s complete nonsense,” Craig said in an interview with MS NOW.
Craig said she had Judge Cobb’s ruling with her during the visit but ICE officials refused to review it. “I informed them they were violating the law. They said they didn’t care,” she said.
Omar described the incident as a direct obstruction of Congress’s constitutional responsibilities.
“What happened today is a blatant attempt to obstruct members of Congress from doing their oversight duties,” Omar told reporters after the attempted visit. “When we appropriate funds as members of Congress, we are expected by the public to do oversight because the public requires their money be used with transparency and accountability. And what happened today is ICE agents decided that we were no longer allowed to fulfill our constitutional duties.”
In a separate post following the incident, Omar added, “The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities.”
The new restriction order became public late Saturday through court filings, according to POLITICO, and arrives amid escalating tension in Minnesota following Good’s killing. On Wednesday, an ICE agent shot and killed the 37 year old Minneapolis woman while she was in her vehicle. Federal officials have described the shooting as an act of self defense, a characterization disputed by local leaders and Democrats across the state.
Minnesota Democrats have said they lack visibility into the federal investigation. After the FBI walked back a cooperation agreement with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced a state level probe into Good’s death alongside other state entities.
Moriarty said the investigation was launched “so that our community can have transparency.”
President Donald Trump, when asked whether the FBI should share evidence with state officials, said he would not, claiming state leadership is “crooked.”
Noem’s oversight directive coincides with an expanded federal response in Minnesota. On Sunday, Noem said the Trump administration is sending “hundreds more” federal agents to the state and is now conducting door to door raids following resistance to ICE operations after Good’s killing.
In her memo, Noem argued that unannounced visits create unsafe conditions and accused lawmakers of staging “circus-like” events rather than engaging in “legitimate oversight.”
The Department of Homeland Security echoed that framing. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused the Minnesota lawmakers of leading protesters to the facility.
“For the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agency’s mandate, the Members of Congress were notified that their visit was improper and out of compliance with existing court orders and policies which mandate that members of Congress must notify ICE at least seven days in advance of Congressional visits,” McLaughlin said.
The confrontation in Minneapolis is part of a broader pattern of disputes over congressional oversight of immigration detention facilities. In June, New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted for interfering with federal immigration agents following a clash during an attempted visit to the Delaney Hall ICE facility.
Legal challenges to Noem’s latest directive are already underway. Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado, one of the lawmakers involved in the lawsuit over the June policy, has filed a new suit challenging the revised restrictions.
As the Trump administration deploys additional agents and limits congressional access to detention sites, the dispute centers on whether Congress will retain the ability to monitor federal immigration facilities during a period marked by lethal force, public protest, and expanding federal enforcement.
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