Kelly Morrison
02/06/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/06/2026 11:45
U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Conducts Unannounced Oversight Visit to Whipple Detention Facility
On Thursday evening, February 5, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) conducted an unannounced oversight visit of the Whipple detention facility in Minneapolis.
This was her third visit overall, and her first visit since a federal judge ruled on Monday that the Trump Administration must restore her right to conduct unannounced congressional oversight of ICE federal detention facilities.
Despite the court order, agents attempted to deny Rep. Morrison's entry into the facility for nearly a half hour. The officer at the gate repeatedly demanded that she leave, told her that the building was locked, and refused to take her credentials or the court order. Rep. Morrison was eventually let in after additional officers were called.
"We are continuing to receive horrifying reports of inhumane conditions inside of the Whipple building - and it is imperative that we are able to conduct unannounced oversight visits. This is a taxpayer-funded facility and Minnesotans deserve to know what's happening inside. This is about restoring the rule of law, protecting our constituents, and holding this administration accountable.
"It's abundantly clear that Whipple is not at all equipped to handle what the Trump Administration is doing with their cruel and chaotic 'Operation Metro Surge.' I am stunned by the inability or unwillingness of the federal agents to answer some of the most basic questions about their operations and protocols.
"The Trump Administration's policies are putting people's lives, health, and security at risk with their incompetence, cruelty, and lawlessness. This poses a threat to all Minnesotans. I am especially concerned to learn that there is no protocol to prevent the spread of measles between Texas and Minnesota facilities.
"The lack of humanity and adherence to the rule of law is beneath what we should expect from our country," said Congresswoman Kelly Morrison.
During her visit, Rep. Morrison, a doctor for more than 20 years, learned that there is no protocol to prevent the spread of measles between facilities, which is especially concerning as people have been transported back and forth between detention facilities in Texas and Whipple. The Dilley detention center is currently facing a measles outbreak.
Under federal law, Members of Congress have the right to conduct unannounced oversight of DHS facilities used for immigration detention, including facilities run by ICE and those operated by private companies.
On January 8, a day after Renee Good was killed, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem secretly imposed a policy that Members of Congress must provide seven days' notice before being granted access to federal immigration detention facilities - a policy identical to one that had been stayed by a federal court only weeks earlier.
After being unlawfully denied entry into the Whipple detention facility on January 10, Rep. Morrison joined the lawsuit suing the Trump Administration for blocking Congressional oversight of federal detention facilities. A judge found the policy to be unlawful and issued a temporary restraining order to pause its implementation.
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