Stop ICE Intimidation Act

Summary#

This bill would stop the Secretary of Homeland Security from spending money on certain immigration enforcement activities until a required report is submitted. The pause would begin no later than 30 days after the law is enacted and would last until the report is delivered.

Specifically, the Secretary could not obligate funds for: (1) running biometric or other surveillance systems (including the Intelligence Records System used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement); (2) starting or continuing contracts that run those systems; or (3) hiring more ICE officers, agents, or employees.

The bill requires a written report to several congressional committees (Appropriations and Judiciary in both houses, the House Homeland Security Committee, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs). The report must set out an ICE policy on how biometric and other surveillance systems are used in immigration enforcement. The policy must include rules that do all of the following:

  • prohibit using these systems to access or store information about someone when that information was collected while the person was exercising constitutional rights;
  • explain how information can be used, who may access it, how it will be stored, protections against unauthorized access and misuse, and how long it will be kept and removed;
  • provide notice to people whose information is in the system and give them a chance to review, contest, or remove information if it was collected while they were exercising constitutional rights;
  • explain how First Amendment activities will not be labeled as “credible threat activity” and define what counts as a credible threat against ICE personnel or facilities;
  • give detailed information on database costs and related contracts;
  • describe how ICE officers comply with local privacy laws and what training they receive where facial recognition is banned.

The bill also says that any information collected by immigration officers for these systems from January 1, 2026, through the date the law is enacted must be deleted within 30 days after enactment unless the Secretary issues the required policy by rule. Finally, the bill prohibits using DHS funds to stop people from recording or documenting immigration enforcement or removal operations, as long as those actions do not interfere with the operations.

What it means for you#

  • If enacted, the department would be blocked from spending money on specified surveillance systems, related contracts, and new ICE hires until the required report and policy are submitted.
  • People whose data was collected between January 1, 2026, and the law’s enactment could have that data deleted unless the Secretary issues the policy by rule.
  • People may be allowed to record or document enforcement or removal operations so long as they do not obstruct or interfere.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on the bill’s overall federal costs or savings. The bill does require a report that must include detailed information on the costs of the databases and related contracts.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.