Lawmakers Barred From ICE Detention Center Visits Amid DHS Funding Lapse
Source: Newsweek
Published Feb 14, 2026 at 11:49 AM EST updated Feb 14, 2026 at 12:06 PM EST
Federal officials told a Washington, D.C., court that a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse meant the government did not have to permit members of Congress to make unannounced visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities, court documents show.
In a notice to U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers said the appropriations rider known as Section 527—which lawmakers have cited to guarantee unfettered access—had lapsed at 12:01 a.m. on February 14 and therefore could not be used to enjoin DHS policy limiting visits.
Why It Matters
The position arrived less than two weeks after Cobb blocked DHS’s latest seven-day notice rule for a group of House Democrats and has further complicated the ongoing legal fight over Capitol Hill oversight access.
Saturday's funding lapse followed a breakdown in negotiations over new limits on immigration enforcement sought by Democrats after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota last month by federal agents, adding a high-stakes budget fight to an already volatile legal dispute about access to detention centers.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/lawmakers-barred-from-ice-detention-center-visits-amid-dhs-funding-lapse-11524743
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