Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin and other members of Congress are asking a federal court to let them in — without advance notice — to facilities where the Trump administration is detaining immigrants facing deportation so they can conduct lawful oversight, according to a complaint filed Wednesday.

Raskin and 11 other Democratic members of Congress are challenging a federal agency policy barring members of Congress from touring detention facilities without at least seven days advance notice.

Lawmakers say the policy is “arbitrary and capricious” and ”lacks a lawful basis”, according to the complaint, and have asked the court to end it.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, comes days after members of Maryland’s federal delegation were denied a tour of Baltimore’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem believe they can block scrutiny of their lawless immigration enforcement sweep by closing out Members of Congress,” Raskin said in a statement. “But these brazen attempts to rebuff us — in stark violation of federal law — only deepen our resolve to get information to the American people."

Raskin serves as the House Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat.

The complaint argued that the Trump administration “has stretched the U.S. immigration detention system far beyond its capacity.” The Democrats questioned federal officials’ ability to safely meet detainees’ basic needs, citing 11 people who have died in immigration facilities in the administration’s first six weeks.

Congress’ oversight authority exists to ensure agencies are lawfully doing their jobs and spending taxpayer money as authorized, they said, and gave detailed accounts of their experiences conducting oversight visits at ICE detention facilities. Often, but not always, their visits were permitted and allowed them to address inadequate conditions in the facilities. Certain previous visits were denied.

But plaintiffs reported this year ICE has kept them from performing oversight duties unless they first provided advance notice.

Members of Maryland’s delegation did send a letter in advance and were still denied entry. Their letter, dated July 21, told DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, that they planned to visit, ahead of their attempt on July 28.

Still, Nikita Baker, the acting director of Baltimore’s ICE office, told them she was instructed not to let them in. Raskin did not attend the field office visit attempt.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of public affairs for DHS, said in an email on Wednesday that the notice was required because officers “have seen a surge in assaults, disruptions, and obstructions to enforcement — including by members of Congress themselves," and that the delegation should have requested a tour.

McLaughlin said the Democratic plaintiffs filing the lawsuit were “running to court to drive clicks and fundraising emails.”

Raskin, in his statement, told Trump the plaintiffs would “see you in court.”

“We’re going to continue to show up and demand the transparency and access that the law guarantees,” he said.