Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has clearly had enough—and she’s making that known without the theatrics Democrats seem to prefer.
In the wake of rising tensions following the shooting death of far-left agitator Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis last Wednesday, Noem quietly updated DHS policy to restore a basic standard of order: Members of Congress must now submit requests at least one week in advance before visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. Simple, reasonable, and apparently intolerable to those who thrive on spectacle.
The timing matters. The move comes after a December ruling by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb—a Joe Biden appointee—that blocked a previous DHS directive requiring the same one-week notice. The difference now is funding. Noem is using resources from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), allowing DHS to sidestep the limitations cited in Cobb’s ruling. In short, the policy is back—this time on firmer ground.
Noem didn’t hide her disagreement with the judge’s finding, but made clear that the updated guidance is designed to “ensure adequate protection for Members of Congress, congressional staff, detainees, and ICE employees alike.” Translation: fewer stunts, less chaos, and fewer people put in danger for the sake of a viral clip.
In a memo to acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, Noem explained that the policy is meant to curb “an increasing trend of replacing legitimate oversight activities with circus-like publicity stunts,” which create “a chaotic environment with heightened emotions.” She didn’t name names—but let’s be honest, no one was confused about who she meant.
That reality played out Saturday when three Minnesota House Democrats—Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig, and Kelly Morrison—attempted to enter a detention facility at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis without prior notice. They were turned away, prompting Omar to complain on X that Members of Congress have a “legal right and constitutional responsibility” to conduct oversight where people are detained.
They still do. All they have to do now is submit a request seven days in advance. Oversight is not canceled—ambush politics is.
What Members of Congress do not have is the right to show up unannounced, inflame tensions, and whip activists into a frenzy that puts lives at risk. Contrary to left-wing belief, emotion is not a substitute for procedure, and chaos is not oversight.
As Secretary Noem pointed out Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, the detainees Democrats seem so eager to grandstand over are not harmless bystanders. They include murderers, rapists, and child predators—the worst of the worst. Ensuring security at facilities that house such individuals is not optional, no matter how badly some lawmakers want a photo op.
Kristi Noem’s move restores order, protects lives, and reminds Washington that enforcement isn’t a stage show. And in an era where chaos has been treated like a virtue, that kind of calm, decisive leadership is exactly what the country needs.
