A federal judge in Washington has ruled that the Trump administration must permit members of Congress to conduct unannounced visits to immigration detention facilities. This decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of Democratic lawmakers challenging policies that restricted access to these facilities.

The ruling allows lawmakers to resume inspections of conditions within immigration detention centers, a practice that has been part of their opposition to the Trump administration's immigration policies. The judge provisionally paused two policies implemented by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June, which had required lawmakers to provide seven days' notice before seeking entry.

In a 73-page opinion, Judge Jia M. Cobb, appointed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., stated that the new protocols introduced by ICE appeared to violate federal law. This law prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using congressionally appropriated funds to deny lawmakers physical access to their facilities. Under the federal appropriations law that funds ICE, which was signed by former President Trump, the agency cannot prevent members of Congress or their staff from making oversight visits to facilities that detain or house individuals.

Judge Cobb highlighted that this provision has been re-enacted annually since 2020 and also prohibits any temporary modifications at such facilities that would alter what is observed by visiting members of Congress.