Immigration News Today: Lawmakers Can Make Unannounced Visits to ICE Detention Centers, Judge Rules

Julia Malleck

Feb 04, 2026

People wait on line to be let in to see their loved ones at Delaney Hall, an immigrant detention center on July 20, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. Photo: Stephanie Keith for Documented.

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Just have a minute? Here are the top stories you need to know about immigration. This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

Washington, D.C.

Judge rules lawmakers can make unannounced visits to ICE detention centers:

DHS has previously required a one-week notice. —POLITICO, Democracy Forward

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Lawmakers hear testimony from U.S. citizens on violent interactions with DHS officers:

Among them were Renee Good’s brothers, Luke and Brent Ganger. —The Hill 

Federal law enforcement leaders clashed over tactics, internal email shows:

Former Border Patrol “commander-at-large” Greg Bovino pushed for a more aggressive approach in Chicago, while ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons called for “targeted operations.” —NBC News 

Federal judge permits DHS, DOJ immigrant asylum fees:

Applicants will be charged a $100 fee for their claim, and another $100 for each year their claim is pending. —Bloomberg Law

New York

AG Letitia James to send legal observers to document ICE raids:

The project aims to send “neutral witnesses on the ground” during federal immigration enforcement activity. —New York Times, ag.ny.gov

Gov. Kathy Hochul open to combining new immigration legislation in omnibus bill:

She also indicated that the state would review the opening of an immigration processing facility in Orange County. —Times Union

ICE arrests multiple people in Hoboken, Jersey City:

According to a recording of one arrest at Hudson Bergen Light Rail Station, the agent said: “I don’t need a warrant, bro.” —ABC7

Judge denies City Council staffer bond, citing failure to prove “he’s not a danger”:

Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, who has been in detention since last month, has no criminal record. —THE CITY

Around the U.S.

Immigration agents draw guns, arrest activists following them in Minneapolis:

The incident signals that tensions are still high despite Border czar Tom Homan taking the helm of enforcement in the city. —KIMT3

$45 billion expansion in immigrant detention sites faces pushback nationwide:

Communities and lawmakers are seeking to block the creation of new, large-scale processing facilities in the wake of deadly shootings in Minneapolis . —AP 

Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border fall to 50-year low:

Border Patrol recorded just over 237,000 encounters in FY2025, down from 1.5 million in FY2024. —Pew Research Center

ICE arrests Brazilian influencer who defended Trump immigration crackdown:

Júnior Pena, a Trump supporter, stated in a previous video on social media that those being detained were “all crooks.” —The Guardian

Julia Malleck

Julia Malleck is a journalist based in NYC. She writes Documented's flagship newsletter, Early Arrival, which tracks national and local developments in immigration policy. (And my handle on X/Twitter is @txt_julia)

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