The bill would stop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from creating or running any new immigration detention model. It specifically bans establishing, expanding, converting, or operating detention sites that use warehouses, industrial facilities, modular units, soft-sided structures, tent systems, processing centers, or similar buildings. The bill also bars using or reprogramming funds available before enactment to build, renovate, expand, or operate those types of facilities. Any amounts already obligated for such new detention models are to be transferred to services like affordable health care and housing. The law would take effect when enacted.
If the bill becomes law, DHS and ICE could not enter into, change, extend, or renew contracts or agreements to set up new detention models described above. Existing detention facilities or contracts already in place before enactment are not detailed in the bill text. The bill defines covered agencies, detention facilities, and what counts as a new immigration model to clarify the ban.
The bill prohibits obligating or spending amounts made available before the bill’s enactment to establish or operate new detention models and prevents reprogramming funds for those purposes. The bill’s findings state DHS announced plans to spend about $38,300,000,000 to acquire and retrofit warehouses and industrial facilities for large-scale detention. The text does not provide estimates of net federal costs or savings beyond these findings. Any amounts obligated to operate new models are to be transferred to services such as affordable health care and housing.
According to the bill text, sponsors argue the planned expansion would rely on warehouses and other nontraditional facilities that can cause harmful conditions for people detained and harm surrounding communities. The bill’s findings compare the proposed facilities to past U.S. internment camps for people of Japanese descent and cite reports of medical neglect, overcrowding, deaths in detention (33 reported in 2025 and 13 so far in 2026), and other rights violations. Supporters say Congress has authority to restrict use of federal funds for these facilities.
No publicly available information.