ICE blocks congressional visits to detention facilities amid US government shutdown

The Trump administration has barred Democratic lawmakers from visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities during the ongoing government shutdown, drawing criticism from Democratic members of Congress.

According to a Politico report on Monday, ICE officials have cited insufficient staff and lack of funding as reasons for denying such visits, while Democrats argue that the move is a politically motivated attempt to block oversight.

A congressional aide said: "Members and staff were informed that the denials were due to the ongoing government shutdown and a lack of available funding or personnel to facilitate the visits."

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), placed the blame on Democrats, stating: "While the Democrats may not care about shutting down the government and making millions of public servants go without a paycheck, maybe they will get back to work now that they have lost the precious appropriations rider they rely on to try to storm ICE facilities."

Oversight visits have been viewed as one of the few remaining ways for lawmakers to monitor conditions inside ICE detention centers.