This bill would limit how long people can be kept in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding facilities. It defines "short-term custody" as no more than 12 hours unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as medical emergencies, natural disasters, transportation delays, or other urgent operational needs. The Secretary of Homeland Security must ensure holding facilities are safe and clean, provide restroom access, and remove objects that could be used as weapons. Detainees must be given a meal at least every 6 hours, drinking water in each room at all times, and immediate access to food or milk for minors, pregnant people, and breastfeeding people. The bill requires contemporaneous records if someone is held longer than short-term custody, keeps those records for 5 years, and directs annual reports to Congress on such cases. The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General must audit facilities and records to check compliance.
No publicly available information.
The bill’s findings state that ICE holding facilities are designed for short-term custody, that a prior agency standard set short-term at 12 hours absent exceptions, and that prolonged detention harms detainee welfare and conflicts with facility design. Proponents seek to restore the 12-hour standard, require humane basic conditions, improve documentation, and increase oversight.
No publicly available information.