Noem Denies Lawmaker Access to ICE Facilities With New Rationale

Lawmakers are not entitled to unannounced visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities under a policy Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem outlined in a court filing Saturday.

Lawmakers wishing to enter ICE facilities must make a request at least seven days in advance, according to a Department of Homeland Security policy described by Noem in a Jan. 8 memo filed Saturday in a Washington DC federal court.

The US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in December that a department policy blocking lawmakers from unannounced visits to ICE facilities violated federal appropriations law, which allows members of Congress ...