Federal Judge Blocks ICE Policy Requiring Prior Notice for Congressional Visits to Detention Centers
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a policy from the Trump administration that required members of Congress to provide a week's notice before visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb ruled that this policy likely violated an appropriations law, which prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using funds to enforce such a notice requirement. The policy, introduced in June, mandated that only the Homeland Security Secretary could waive the notice requirement. Historically, ICE allowed congressional visits without prior notice. The ruling was a result of a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward Foundation and American Oversight on behalf of Democratic lawmakers. The decision comes amid an expansion of ICE's detention system, with a record number of detainees held across the U.S. 
