President Donald Trump’s administration was hit with a new lawsuit on Wednesday from a dozen House lawmakers accusing it of unlawfully obstructing congressional oversight of federal immigration detention facilities.
The suit was filed in Washington, D.C., and the 12 plaintiffs, all of whom are Democrats, are represented by the advocacy groups Democracy Forward Foundation and American Oversight. The defendants in the lawsuit are the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE’s acting head, Todd Lyons.
Newsweek reached out to the DHS and ICE for comment via email on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
The latest legal challenge against the administration further intensifies the tug-of-war between the federal government’s immigration enforcement push and the role of elected officials seeking transparency in immigration detention practices.
It also comes as Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver of New Jersey is facing federal charges accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center during a congressional oversight visit to the facility in May.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
What To Know
Wednesday’s lawsuit zeroes in on a new policy the Trump administration implemented mandating a seven-day waiting period and restricting access to field offices where people are being detained.
The suit alleges that the policy is unlawful and violates a federal statute that allows for members of Congress to conduct oversight of detention facilities run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without prior notice.
The 12 House Democrats who are plaintiffs in the suit are Representatives Joe Neguse and Jason Crow of Colorado, Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman of New York, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Robert Garcia, J. Luis Correa, Jimmy Gomez, Raul Ruiz and Norma Torres of California and Veronica Escobar of Texas.
What People Are Saying
Representative Joe Neguse, a Colorado Democrat who is leading the plaintiffs in the suit, in a statement: “Blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law—and the Trump administration knows it. Such blatant disregard for both the law and the constitutional order by the Trump administration warrants a serious and decisive response, which is why I’m proud to lead the lawsuit we proceeded with earlier today.”
Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat and ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, in a statement: “By blocking Members of Congress from visiting ICE detention facilities, the Trump administration is not only preventing us from conducting meaningful oversight of its facilities, it is clearly violating the law. This unprecedented action is just their latest effort to stonewall Congress and the American people. If DHS has nothing to hide, it must follow the law and make its facilities available.”
Representative Adriano Espaillat, a California Democrat and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in a statement: “The obstruction of Congressional oversight is not just an affront to the Constitution—it’s a threat to our democracy. Since day one, we have witnessed the Trump administration’s systematic efforts to dehumanize immigrants, detain tens of thousands—including U.S. citizens—and weaponize federal agencies to carry out a mass deportation agenda rooted in cruelty and chaos.”
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
