Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn), revealed that both she and several other Minnesota lawmakers were booted from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Minneapolis on January 10, 2026. Omar, along with Minnesota Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, visited the Whipple Building, an ICE facility, stating their purpose for showing up at the site was to fulfill their congressional oversight role.
However, the pair were told to take a hike after being informed about a brand new rule from the Trump administration about visits from governing lawmakers. As one would imagine, this didn’t thrill Craig and Omar. “We were initially invited in to do our congressional oversight and to exercise our Article I duties,” Omar said to reporters after the incident. “When we made it in, it was with the authorization of someone who’s been here for a really long time, who understood that we had a congressional duty to enter the building and see the facility.”
“Shortly after we were let in, two officials came in and said they received a message that we were no longer allowed to be in the building and that they were rescinding our invitation and denying any further access to the building,” the Minnesota congresswoman continued. The new rule, which was imposed on January 10, requires lawmakers to give ICE facilities a week’s notice before being allowed to enter.
According to Fox News, Omar stated that her group was able to ask officials inside the facility a few questions concerning hygiene for those being detained, among other topics. The congresswoman said the answers to her questions were “insane,” going on to argue that officials are downplaying how long detainees stay at the facility.
Federal officials responded to complaints about the new rule by saying the order is in full compliance with federal law as the funding for the facility comes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, not from congressional appropriations. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security provided additional details and explanation of Omar’s removal from the facility, which she said had “the explicit goal of ‘hunting down’ ICE officers who they believed may have been staying there.”
“For the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agency’s mandate, the members of Congress were notified that their visit was improper and out of compliance with existing court orders and policies which mandate that members of Congress must notify ICE at least seven days in advance of congressional visits,” she stated.
Not long after the incident occurred, Omar did an interview with MS NOW where she said, “It looked like it might have been an order that maybe came from Washington to deny us the proper access that we needed to complete those duties that we are obligated as members of Congress.”
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Craig also weighed in on the incident during the interview saying the refusal was “completely nonsensical,” adding, “We were told because this facility is being funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill, not the Congressional Appropriations Act, that we would not be able to enter the facility.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video