Illinois Congress Members Push Back After Being Denied Access to ICE Facilities

Bridgette Adu-Wadier | June 26, 2025, 7:15 pm

Some members of Congress are saying they’ve been turned away from local Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, facilities as they seek transparency on the conditions detainees are experiencing.

Federal appropriations law allows members of Congress to perform oversight of these facilities, unannounced.

But now, the Trump administration says congressional visits have to be approved in advance by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Thanks to our sponsors:

After being turned away from an ICE facility in the South Loop last week, Democratic U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Jonathan Jackson are asking for full access to the center. Krishnamoorthi said he and Jackson went to the center to figure out what happened to the 10 individuals who were reportedly arrested on June 4 after coming in for appointments at the facility. After making it to the lobby, Krishnamoorthi said, an ICE officer who refused to identify himself called the police to evict them for trespassing.

“We have since then written to Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, demanding inspection of those premises and we will continue to follow up,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Jackson and fellow Democratic U.S. Reps. Delia Ramirez, Jesús “Chuy” García and Danny Davis were also denied entry at an ICE facility in suburban Broadview last week. They went to conduct congressional oversight and investigate alleged poor conditions at the facility. Ramirez said an ICE official who wouldn’t identify themselves told the group to send an email and turned them away.

Earlier this month, ICE put out a new policy requiring a 72-hour notice for congressional visits to be approved. But the Department of Homeland Security extended the notice needed to a week in a statement Thursday.

“As ICE law enforcement have seen a surge in assaults, disruptions and obstructions to enforcement, including by politicians themselves, any requests to tour processing centers and field offices must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security,” the statement said. “These requests must be part of legitimate congressional oversight activities. As for visits to detention facilities, requests should be made with sufficient time to prevent interference with the President’s Article II authority to oversee executive department functions—a week is sufficient to ensure no intrusion on the President’s constitutional authority.”

García said this change conflicts with laws that appropriate money to the Department of Homeland Security, and indicates that ICE could have something to hide.

“These are federal facilities and federal employees and we have the right to visit at any time, unannounced,” García said. “What they are cooking up over the past week seem to be justifications for why they are refusing to let members of Congress do our job. Those are not requirements that have been in the law.”

This move comes as the Trump administration focuses its deportation efforts on Democratic cities like Chicago. ICE agents have been reported to be wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves as they carry out arrests and deportations. Advocates have raised concerns that some of the people arrested by ICE earlier this month have not been heard from by their families or lawyers, and are being detained in poor conditions.

Ramirez, who is on the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement in the Homeland Security Committee, said she and her colleagues requested a subpoena to Noem to answer questions about who the masked ICE agents are.

“No law enforcement, no one that’s actually up to good things and following rules, should be covering their face to start pulling and taking people,” Ramirez said. “They’re also not providing us badge numbers; they’re not providing us names. Who are these people that are masked? How do they get trained? Are they former correction officers? Are they subcontractors?”