U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, accompanied by Rep. Kelly Morrison (left) and Rep. Angie Craig (right), arrive outside ICE’s regional headquarters at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Saturday. The Democratic deputies initially had access to the premises, but the authorities quickly asked them to leave the premises.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images North America
hide caption
toggle caption
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images North America
MINNEAPOLIS — The Department of Homeland Security blocked federal lawmakers from visiting an immigration detention center in Minneapolis this weekend, under a new policy for visits by the department’s head.
Under federal law, members of Congress have the right to make unannounced visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers. A decision from the DC federal court affirmed last month, saying it applies to facilities funded by regular Congressional appropriations.
But in a Memo from January 8 From Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem obtained by NPR, Noem informs her staff that visits must be requested at least seven days in advance. She said the detention centers are run with money from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a different tranche of federal funds, and therefore the policy on unannounced visits does not apply to them.
The new policy appeared to have been cited on Saturday block three Minnesota lawmakers’ visit to ICE detention center in Minneapolis.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a reconciliation measure passed by Congress last summer with sole Republican support, allocated some $45 billion to immigration detention centers as many were operating above capacity. It also provided about $30 billion to hire more ICE personnel, cover transportation costs, and maintain ICE facilities, among other expenses.
“The basis of this policy is that advance notice is necessary to ensure adequate protection for Members of Congress, Congressional staff, detainees, and ICE employees,” Noem wrote. “Unannounced visits require removing ICE agents from their normal duties.”
Noem also said “there is a growing trend to replace legitimate surveillance activities with circus-style publicity stunts, which creates a chaotic environment and heightened emotions.”
Noem’s memo explicitly requests that ICE implement and enforce the visitation policy using only funds from the reconciliation bill, meaning the new seven-day visitation policy would apply.
Minnesota Congressional Democrats Demand Greater Oversight
The lawmakers’ visit Saturday to the Whipple federal building comes as Minneapolis remains under tension. An ICE agent was shot and killed last Wednesday Renée Good, 37 years old while she was in her car. The Trump administration says the shooting was justified because the ICE agent was acting in self-defense.
Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison showed up at the Whipple federal building and were initially allowed in, but shortly afterward were asked to leave and prevented from touring the facility.
Rep. Craig said federal agents said the Minneapolis facility uses One Big Beautiful Bill Act money and therefore unannounced visits are not allowed.
“It’s our job as members of Congress to ensure that people in detention are treated humanely because we are the damn United States of America!” Craig told reporters outside the Minneapolis ICE facility Saturday. “And we don’t treat people the same way this administration treats people.”
More than 2,000 federal immigration agents have been deployed to Minnesota, and more could arrive in the coming days.
