A federal judge in Washington DC has ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can temporarily require lawmakers to provide a week's notice before inspecting immigration detention facilities. The decision, issued on Monday by Judge Jia Cobb, allows the Trump administration to enforce a policy that had been blocked last month, as the funding source now differs under the so-called 'big, beautiful bill'.
The ruling comes after three Democratic members of Congress from Minnesota—Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig, and Kelly Morrison—were denied access to an ICE detention center near Minneapolis earlier this month. They argued that DHS officials illegally blocked their authorized congressional oversight, but Judge Cobb stated that the new policy 'facially differs' from the one previously blocked, leaving the lawmakers to challenge it separately.
Separately, the Justice Department urged a district court judge in Minneapolis to allow continued immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, responding to a lawsuit filed by the state and cities of Minneapolis and St Paul. The lawsuit seeks to end what Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called a 'federal invasion', citing excessive force and warrantless arrests. The Justice Department dismissed the lawsuit as 'an absurdity', arguing it would undermine federal supremacy.
In a related development, the Justice Department appealed an injunction issued on Friday by Judge Katherine Menendez that curbed aggressive ICE tactics, including the use of pepper spray and intimidation against protesters. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem initially denied the use of chemical substances but later backtracked, claiming they were necessary for 'law and order'.
