June 20, 2025executive orderimmigration enforcementcongressional oversightcivil libertiesimmigrationoversightseparation of powers
Trump administration blocks Rep. Meeks from inspecting ICE detention centers
The Trump administration blocked Representative Gregory Meeks from entering ICE detention facilities during a scheduled oversight visit, with ICE officials citing national security protocols that had not previously applied to congressional inspections. Meeks, the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the denial violated Congress's constitutional oversight authority. Legal scholars said the precedent, if sustained, would effectively eliminate legislative oversight of immigration detention.