You almost wish Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would make congressional Democrats write it 100 times on the Capitol Hill blackboard: “Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities are not for photo opportunities.”
However, she has issued guidance that works just as well: On Wednesday, the DHS released new restrictions that bar lawmakers from turning ICE facility visits into spectacles, including advance notice of the visit and limits on the detainees they can meet with individually.
The new regulations, Just the News reported, came after a clash at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey last month, which led to Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey being charged on three counts of forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers.
She now faces up to 16 years in prison after getting caught on camera in a physical confrontation with federal law enforcement.
United States Rep. LaMonica McIver was caught on body cam assaulting law enforcement yesterday when Dems forced their way into New Jersey’s Delaney ICE detention center.
Arrest her now or I don’t want to ever hear again that “No one is above the law” @Sec_Noem @AGPamBondi pic.twitter.com/fhmzibBuTU
— Kristi L. Talmadge (@KristiTalmadge) May 10, 2025
However, this could just as easily apply to other Democrats, like Reps. Jerrold Nadler of New York or Maxine Waters of California, who’ve both been denied access to federal facilities this month — Nadler’s latest viral foray on Wednesday in New York City, Waters’ most famous coming earlier this month during the Los Angeles riots when she tried to use her “congressional authority” to check on a jailed union leader:
Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler showed up at an ICE detention center in NYC demanding entry so he could check on the criminal illegals being held there and was DENIED entry 😂pic.twitter.com/Fp04mZ6UgV
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 18, 2025
Are there times when we must bend our normal principles to help protect Americans?
BREAKING: Rep. Maxine Waters tried to enter the Los Angeles Federal Building to check on arrested SEIU President David Huerta. Despite her “congressional authority,” she was denied entry.
Note how Waters walked past all the graffiti during this stunt — quite the backdrop. pic.twitter.com/BwAM5pJljF
— Stu (@thestustustudio) June 8, 2025
The new DHS guidelines require lawmakers to give ICE field offices 72 hours notice and their staff to give 24 hours notice before any visits.
Furthermore, if they want to meet with any of the inmates, they have to provide a list of who they want to speak to or give 48 hours notice to allow for the creation of a sign-up list for detainees who want to speak to lawmakers.
Lawmakers are also not allowed to either shoot photos or video clips inside the facilities.
“ICE will not facilitate meetings with detainees in detention facilities without valid, signed privacy releases,” the new guidance said.
“If Members and/or Congressional staff would like to meet with a specific detainee or set of detainees, please provide names, alien registration numbers, and valid, signed privacy releases with your request.”
Furthermore, The Hill reported, “group size or visit itinerary may be modified to reduce operational impacts” on the facilities.
Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi was the go-to guy for the freakout du jour when it came to DHS’ new visitation guidelines.
“There is no valid or legal reason for denying Member access to ICE facilities and DHS’s ever-changing justifications prove this,” said Thompson, who apparently lacks access to social media or this show on cable that airs 24 hours a day that some people like to call “the news.”
“To be clear, there is no agency or department that is ‘too busy’ for oversight. If ICE has nothing to hide, DHS must make its facilities available,” he said via a statement.
“Kristi Noem’s new policy to block congressional oversight of ICE facilities is not only unprecedented, it is an affront to the Constitution and Federal law. Noem is now not only attempting to restrict when Members can visit, but completely blocking access to ICE Field Offices — even if Members schedule visits in advance. No matter how much she and [President] Trump want to force us to live under their authoritarian rule, ICE is not above oversight and the Department must follow the law,” he added.
“This unlawful policy is a smokescreen to deny Member visits to ICE offices across the country, which are holding migrants — and sometimes even U.S. citizens — for days at a time. They are therefore detention facilities and are subject to oversight and inspection at any time. DHS pretending otherwise is simply their latest lie.”
No, Rep. Thompson, the “latest lie” is that this is any kind of oversight.
Notice how conspicuous the cameras are whenever one of these choreographed visits is made: This has nothing to do with Congress making sure DHS has nothing to hide, something that would be properly accomplished under its purview by holding hearings. Rather, this is about publicity-seeking — pure, obvious, naked self-promotion that has little to do with concern for immigrants being held and everything to do with the donor-clip-cutters always in tow.
The only thing that’s really changed is their lack of ability to make a scene by bum-rushing detention facilities and pretending it’s “oversight” under their “congressional authority.” Curious how that seems to be what’s triggered them.
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