DHS Secretary Noem Issues Memo Requiring 7-Day Notice for Congressional ICE Visits

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued a January 8, 2026 memo reinstating a seven-day advance-notice requirement for members of Congress wishing to visit ICE detention facilities. The policy directly conflicts with a 2019 appropriations law granting any member of Congress unannounced access to federal immigrant detention sites. Twelve Democratic lawmakers had previously sued over an earlier version of the policy; a federal court had enjoined that version. Judge Jia Cobb declined to immediately block the new memo on procedural grounds, not on its merits.