Protecting Sensitive Locations Act

Summary#

This bill adds a new subsection to section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It stops immigration enforcement actions by Department of Homeland Security officers, ICE, CBP, and designated individuals from taking place at, focused on, or within 1,000 feet of a long list of "sensitive locations," except under narrow "exigent circumstances." The bill defines enforcement actions to include arrests, interviews, ID requests, searches, and surveillance. It lists many types of sensitive locations, including medical and mental health sites, schools and early education programs, school buses and stops when children are present, child care centers, places of worship, courthouses, polling places, public libraries, social service and public assistance offices, DMVs, labor union halls, disaster relief sites, and locations that serve vulnerable people. The bill allows limited exceptions: transport to medical care and rare preplanned arrests of terrorism or national security suspects with prior written approval from specified senior officials. Officers who are not sure whether exigent circumstances exist must stop and consult a supervisor in real time. The bill requires annual training for specified agency leaders and their employees, immediate reporting to DHS oversight offices within 30 days after any enforcement action at a sensitive location, annual agency reports to congressional committees, and annual OIG reports on complaints. If an enforcement action violates the subsection, evidence from that action cannot be used in removal proceedings, and the person affected may move to terminate their removal case. The amendment takes effect 90 days after enactment and directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue implementing regulations within 90 days.

What it means for you#

• Immigration officers generally may not carry out enforcement actions at or within 1,000 feet of the listed sensitive locations, unless one of the defined exigent circumstances applies.
• If officers are unsure whether an emergency exists, they must stop and get a supervisor's real-time approval before continuing.
• Some actions are explicitly excluded, such as taking an apprehended person to a hospital for medical care.
• Agencies must train staff annually on these rules and report detailed information about any enforcement actions at sensitive locations to DHS oversight offices and to congressional committees.
• If an enforcement action violates the new rules, information from that action cannot be used in a removal proceeding and the affected person may ask for the proceeding to end immediately.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The bill states it is intended "to ensure individuals' access to sensitive locations." It includes measures proponents can use to show how that aim is met: a 1,000-foot restriction around many listed sites, required supervisory review when officers are uncertain, annual training for relevant staff, and reporting and oversight requirements for enforcement actions at sensitive locations.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.