A federal judge just ruled for the third time that the Department of Homeland Security block members

A federal judge just ruled for the third time that the Department of Homeland Security block members of Congress from showing up unannounced at immigration detention facilities run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ⚖️  U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb struck down a policy from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that required lawmakers to give a week’s notice before visiting any ICE facility. The judge found that the policy was likely illegal because it used funds that Congress explicitly restricted from being used to block oversight visits. 🚪  This fight isn’t abstract — after the fatal shooting of Renée Good in Minnesota, lawmakers were physically turned away from entering an ICE facility even while holding a prior court order. That incident exposed exactly why the government wanted to limit access: they don’t want oversight and don’t want anyone seeing what happens inside. 👁️‍🗨️  The judge’s latest ruling restores full, unrestricted access to ICE detention centers for every member of Congress, not just those who sued. But the administration has already appealed, signaling it will keep fighting to run these facilities without outside accountability. 🏛️  Attorneys for the lawmakers called the decision a victory for transparency, noting that human rights shouldn’t disappear at the doors of a detention center.