On Saturday, January 10, 2026, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and fellow Minnesota lawmakers, including Rep. Angie Craig, were escorted out of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Minneapolis known as the Whipple Building.
The group arrived for a congressional oversight visit, initially gained entry with authorization from a long-term staff member, but was soon informed by two officials that their access was revoked due to a new Trump administration rule requiring at least one week’s notice for such visits.
The incident has sparked debate over congressional access to federal facilities and the balance between oversight duties and administrative policies.
Earlier that week, on January 7, 2026, U.S. Border Patrol agents detained an individual near Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis during dismissal time, an action that fueled local unrest over federal immigration enforcement, according to Fox News.
This context likely prompted Omar and her colleagues to inspect conditions at the Whipple Building, where they managed to briefly question officials about detainee hygiene before being asked to leave.
The Trump administration’s new rule, implemented on the same day as the visit, mandates a seven-day advance notice for lawmakers entering ICE facilities, a policy that echoes a prior attempt by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem which was overturned by a federal judge.
That earlier judicial ruling held that federal spending laws guarantee Congress unrestricted access to facilities receiving federal funds.
Yet, federal officials now argue this latest order aligns with legal standards since the Whipple Building’s funding stems from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, not direct congressional appropriations.
It’s a technical distinction that raises eyebrows—should funding sources really dictate whether elected representatives can perform their Article I duties?
Omar herself described the abrupt reversal of access, stating, "We were initially invited in to do our congressional oversight and to exercise our Article I duties."
"Shortly after we were let in, two officials came in and said they received a message that we were no longer allowed to be in the building and that they were rescinding our invitation and denying any further access to the building," she added.
While her frustration is palpable, one might wonder if showing up unannounced truly serves oversight or risks turning a serious duty into a public relations stunt.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin countered with a firm stance, saying, "For the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agency’s mandate, the members of Congress were notified that their visit was improper and out of compliance with existing court orders and policies which mandate that members of Congress must notify ICE at least seven days in advance of congressional visits."
Safety concerns are valid, especially in facilities handling sensitive operations, but using them to block elected officials feels like a convenient shield for avoiding scrutiny—surely a middle ground exists between security and transparency.
