The Department of Homeland Security has imposed new limits on visits by members of Congress and their staff to immigration enforcement facilities, intensifying a conflict between federal immigration officials and Democratic lawmakers.

In guidance released this month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement asserts that it has broad power to “deny a request or otherwise cancel, reschedule or terminate a tour or visit” by lawmakers or their staff under a number of circumstances, including “operational concerns” or if “facility management or other ICE officials deem it appropriate to do so.”

Under existing federal law, members of Congress can make unannounced oversight visits to immigration facilities that “detain or otherwise house aliens.” But the new policy specifies that ICE field offices are not subject to those requirements. Detained immigrants have been held in some of those offices for days waiting for officials to process their cases.

The new protocol, updated since February, comes as Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly been denied access to ICE facilities this month as they try to conduct congressional oversight, and amid high-profile clashes between federal immigration officials and members of Congress.

Democratic lawmakers in California, Illinois and New York have been turned away from ICE facilities recently, sometimes after trying in vain for hours to gain access to buildings that they say they are authorized to visit.

Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was charged with assault last month after an encounter with immigration officers outside a Newark detention center. And Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was shoved out of a room and handcuffed after trying to question Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, during a news conference last week.

Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.

Canada floats higher metals tariffs

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he will impose new tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports on July 21 depending the progress of trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Carney, who met with Trump at the Group of Seven meetings in Alberta last week, reiterated Thursday that Canada and the U.S. “agreed to pursue negotiations toward a deal within the coming 30 days.”

“We will review our response as the negotiations progress,” Carney said.

Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as 25% tariffs on autos. Trump is also charging a 10% tax on imports from most countries, though he could raise rates on July 9, after the 90-day negotiating period set by him would expire.

Canada and Mexico face separate tariffs of as much as 25% that Trump put into place under the auspices of stopping fentanyl smuggling, through some products are still protected under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement signed during Trump’s first term.

Canada is the largest U.S. foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for.

Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.6 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states and is Minnesota’s No. 1 trading partner.

Carney didn’t say if he would sign a deal with the U.S. if any tariffs remain in place on Canada.

“This a negotiation, and it is better for the Americans, and of course for Canada, to have true free trade between our countries, particularly in the steel, aluminum and auto sectors,” he said.

President gives TikTok another 90-day stay

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to keep TikTok running in the U.S. for another 90 days to give his administration more time to broker a deal to bring the social media platform under American ownership.

Trump disclosed the executive order on the Truth Social platform Thursday morning.

“He’s making an extension so we can get this deal done,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. “It’s wildly popular. He also wants to protect Americans’ data and privacy concerns on this app. And he believes we can do both at the same time.”

It is the third time Trump has extended the deadline. The first one was through an executive order on Jan. 20, his first day in office, after the platform went dark briefly when a national ban — approved by Congress and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court — took effect.

TikTok praised Trump for signing an extension Thursday.

— From news services