Washington, D.C. — A federal court temporarily stopped the Trump-Vance administration’s policy blocking Members of Congress from unannounced oversight visits to federal immigration detention facilities today. The decision restores Congress’s ability to conduct real-time oversight of how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain individuals — including U.S. citizens — and spend billions in taxpayer dollars, while the case continues. Democracy Forward and American Oversight represent plaintiffs.

The lawsuit, Neguse et al. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement et al., was brought by a dozen members of the U.S. House of Representatives after the administration imposed a seven-day waiting period and barred access to certain field offices, in violation of a longstanding federal law that guarantees congressional oversight.

The plaintiffs include Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse; Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat; Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bennie G. Thompson; Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin; House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia; House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Ranking Member Rep. J. Luis Correa; Rep. Jason Crow; Rep. Veronica Escobar; Rep. Dan Goldman; Rep. Jimmy Gomez; Rep. Raul Ruiz; and Rep. Norma Torres.

The members released the following statement: 

“Today’s decision is a critical victory toward restoring our ability to conduct essential congressional oversight on behalf of the American people. It reinforces the rule of law and reminds the administration that oversight is not optional. Real-time, on-the-ground visits to immigration detention facilities help prevent abuses and ensure transparency. Oversight is a core responsibility of Members of Congress—and a constitutional duty we do not take lightly. We’ll continue standing up for the rule of law.”

“This ruling is a victory for the American people and their elected representatives,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “This decision makes clear that no president can hide the truth about how people are treated in federal immigration custody. We’re honored to represent these individual Members of Congress in defending accountability, transparency, the rule of law, and human dignity.”

“Today’s ruling is a clear victory for the rule of law and a clear affirmation that no administration is above it,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “Members of Congress have an unquestioned right to conduct real-time oversight of immigration detention facilities, and the American people have a right to know what is happening in their name. By blocking those visits, the administration wasn’t simply breaking the law, it was trying to conceal the reality inside these facilities from the public: people in overcrowded, inhumane conditions without adequate beds, showers, or medical care. This order restores a critical check on executive power and sends a clear message that abuse cannot be hidden.”

With this decision, the court reaffirms Members of Congress’s right to access federal immigration detention facilities without prior notice — a safeguard meant to prevent abuse, protect human rights, and ensure that taxpayer funds are not used to support unlawful or inhumane practices. The ruling sends a strong message that oversight is essential to democracy and that no administration is above the law.

Read the decision here and the Spanish version of this release here.