Rep. Ilhan Omar told reporters outside the facility: “Shortly after we were let in, two officials came in and said that they received a message that we were no longer allowed to be in the building, and that they were rescinding our invitation to come in and declining any further access to this building.” She described the incident as lasting about 10 minutes after initial entry and called it “a blatant attempt to obstruct members of Congress from doing their oversight duties.”
Omar added that the lawmakers had notified the facility ahead of time about their planned visit, and some reports indicate they had been invited by a former acting director.
In an X post later that day, Omar wrote: “I was just denied access to the ICE processing center at the Whipple Building. Members of Congress have a legal right and constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight where people are being detained. The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities.”
Rep. Angie Craig reported that ICE officials told her the facility’s funding came from the “Big Beautiful Bill” rather than congressional appropriations, which they claimed exempted it from such oversight.
The denial occurred against the backdrop of ongoing protests in Minneapolis following the January 7 shooting death of 37-year-old Nicole Renee Good by an ICE officer. Demonstrations against immigration enforcement have also spread to other cities, including Portland, Oregon.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (which oversees ICE), said in a statement that the visit was “improper and out of compliance” with the agency’s mandate. She cited safety concerns for detainees and staff, and referenced existing policies requiring members of Congress to provide at least seven days’ advance notice for facility visits. “Because they were out of compliance with this mandate, Representative Omar and her colleagues were denied entry to the facility,” McLaughlin stated.
A new Trump administration policy, implemented on January 8, 2026, mandates a week’s advance notice for oversight visits to ICE facilities, according to court documents revealed late on January 10.
However, federal appropriations law explicitly allows members of Congress to conduct unannounced inspections of Department of Homeland Security facilities used to detain aliens. The statute states that funds made available to DHS cannot be used to prevent such entries for oversight purposes, and “Nothing in this section may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility.”
In mid-December 2025, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb blocked a similar DHS policy requiring advance notice, writing that the policies appeared “contrary to law and in excess of DHS’s statutory authority.”
Greg Chen, senior director for government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, emphasized the value of unannounced oversight, stating it provides essential “guardrails to ensure safe conditions for people that are detained there.”
The incident unfolded as federal agents, many appearing masked, stood outside the building while protesters gathered nearby. The representatives were escorted out after the brief initial access.
