Three Minnesota Democratic congresswomen got kicked out of an ICE detention facility Saturday after federal officials revoked their access during an oversight visit.

Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison arrived at the Whipple Building at Fort Snelling shortly after 9 a.m., according to FOX 9. The federal facility houses the regional ICE headquarters and an immigration court.

Armed agents initially formed a line at the entrance before allowing the lawmakers inside. About 30 minutes later, officials ordered them to leave. (RELATED: ICE Agent At Center Of Minneapolis Shooting Reportedly In Hiding As Federal Officers Swarm Home, Pack Up Belongings)

Omar told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press that officials were blunt about why they reversed course. “When we got upstairs, the explanation we got was, ‘Yes, the law’s on your side, but we don’t care. And we are not going to allow you to fulfill your oversight,'” Omar said.

Ilhan Omar is now on the ground with left-wing protestors in Minneapolis.

And you guessed it, she’s encouraging violence against ICE.

“We are here to stay. They came to terrorize, abduct and deport Somalis.”

It’s time she goes home.
pic.twitter.com/dxoBoHuiZi

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 10, 2026

The lawmakers said they had received prior authorization from a former acting director who left the position days earlier, according to the Pioneer Press.

Before their removal, the congresswomen observed about 20 detainees in a monitoring room, the Pioneer Press reported. Congresswoman Morrison described seeing “a lot of young men sitting with their heads in their hands.”

Officials blocked them from speaking with detainees or viewing the showers. When asked about hygiene products, staff claimed detainees did not stay long enough to need them.

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin defended the decision in a statement to the Pioneer Press. She said the lawmakers violated a policy requiring seven days advance notice for congressional visits. McLaughlin also pointed to safety concerns following overnight riots at downtown Minneapolis hotels where protesters allegedly hunted for ICE officers.

Craig dismissed that reasoning, according to FOX 9. She held up a December court ruling that affirmed congressional authority to conduct unannounced oversight visits at federal detention centers.

The standoff came four days after ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good in south Minneapolis, FOX 9 reported. The shooting triggered days of protests across the Twin Cities. Nearly a dozen demonstrators were arrested Thursday at the same facility, according to the New York Post.

All three lawmakers pledged to keep pushing for access.