WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in the nation’s capital has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing policies that limit Congress members’ access to immigration detention facilities.
The ruling delivered by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb on Wednesday indicates that it is likely illegal for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to require a week's notice from Congress members wishing to visit and observe conditions in ICE facilities.
Judge Cobb, nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, noted that the notice requirement likely exceeds the statutory authority of the Department of Homeland Security.
“Plaintiffs have an interest in facts about whether facilities are overcrowded or unsanitary, whether the staff is engaging in abuse, or the location of constituents or their family members,” Cobb stated.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C. in July by twelve Democratic members of Congress who challenged ICE’s amended visitor policies after they were denied entry to detention facilities. The lawsuit also targeted the exclusion of ICE field offices from facilities that require no notice for Congressional visits. The plaintiffs accused the Trump administration of obstructing oversight of immigration enforcement operations.
Government attorneys argued that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing and claimed concerns about changing conditions over a week were speculative. However, Judge Cobb refuted those arguments, stating, The changing conditions within ICE facilities mean that it is likely impossible for a Member of Congress to reconstruct the conditions at a facility on the day that they initially sought to enter.
