The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced stricter rules for members of Congress and their staff seeking to visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, following recent high-profile confrontations involving Democratic lawmakers. The updated policy, released in mid-June 2025, is designed to regulate access and ensure orderly visits amid what DHS describes as growing concerns over safety and operational disruption.
Under the new guidelines, congressional staff are now required to give at least 24 hours’ notice before visiting ICE detention centers. While the law—specifically Section 527 of the FY2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act—permits lawmakers themselves to make unannounced visits to detention facilities, DHS emphasized that field offices fall outside the purview of that statute. Any planned visit to a field office must now be coordinated in advance, with at least 72 hours’ notice and DHS approval.
“ICE Field Offices are not detention facilities and fall outside of the Sec. 527 requirements,” the official guidelines clarify. Requests to visit such offices will go through a visitor engagement process, and only those explicitly approved will be granted entry.
DHS also added that even at detention facilities, access could be temporarily denied under “exigent circumstances,” such as security risks or sensitive ongoing operations.
The change in policy comes on the heels of a controversial incident in Newark, New Jersey, in May. According to DHS, a group including three Democratic members of Congress, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and several protesters allegedly “stormed the gate” of the Delaney Hall ICE detention center. Federal officials claimed the group posed a security threat and disrupted facility operations.
Among those involved was Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), who has since been criminally charged by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. Video footage reportedly shows McIver pushing and attempting to physically block ICE agents as they tried to detain individuals, including Mayor Baraka. She faces two counts of assaulting and impeding federal officers.
McIver, however, maintains that her actions were in the service of lawful congressional oversight and that the charges are politically motivated. “We were fulfilling our duty to ensure transparency and accountability at these facilities,” she said in a public statement.
The updated DHS policy has drawn mixed reactions. While agency officials argue the rules are necessary for safety and efficiency, critics claim they are a direct response to Democratic scrutiny of immigration enforcement practices and may hinder legitimate oversight.
As tensions continue to mount between Congress and DHS over immigration enforcement, the new guidelines are likely to become a flashpoint in the broader debate over executive accountability and congressional access.
