What This Bill Does
This bill would bar the Department of Homeland Security from detaining children and people with cognitive disabilities in immigration custody, and it would require a court-issued criminal warrant before immigration enforcement actions can be carried out at sensitive locations. It is aimed at limiting the use of detention and protecting schools, hospitals, places of worship, and similar sites from immigration raids. The measure would directly affect DHS enforcement practices, immigrants and asylum seekers, families, and people with disabilities. Its core mechanism is a legal restriction on where and how immigration officers can act, rather than a funding change.
- Bars DHS from detaining children and people with cognitive disabilities.
- Requires a court-issued criminal warrant for immigration enforcement at sensitive locations.
- Applies to DHS immigration enforcement practices, not a new spending program.
- Protects access to sensitive sites such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
Who This Bill Affects
For the general public, this bill would mainly affect how federal immigration officers operate in and around sensitive places such as schools, hospitals, and houses of worship. It would also limit DHS detention of children and people with cognitive disabilities, which could change how vulnerable individuals are held while immigration cases are pending. There is no direct dollar amount attached; the practical effect is a change in enforcement rules and custody limits.
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- Immigrant families and community advocates They argue that children and people with cognitive disabilities need stronger protections because detention can be traumatic and difficult to navigate. Limiting enforcement at sensitive locations also helps families use schools, clinics, and faith institutions without fear of sudden immigration action.
- Civil liberties and disability-rights advocates They see the bill as a safeguard against enforcement practices that can disproportionately burden vulnerable people. Requiring a criminal warrant at sensitive locations adds judicial oversight and reduces the chance of mistaken or overly aggressive enforcement.
- School, hospital, and faith-community leaders They may support the bill because it reduces disruption in places that serve the public and are meant to be safe havens. Clear limits on enforcement can help staff focus on education, care, and worship rather than immigration-related fear or confusion.
- Immigration enforcement officials They may argue the bill restricts operational flexibility and makes it harder to locate and detain people who are subject to removal proceedings. A warrant requirement at sensitive locations could slow enforcement and create additional procedural hurdles.
- Border-security and enforcement-focused constituencies They may contend that the bill weakens deterrence and could encourage people to use sensitive locations as shields from enforcement. They may also argue that categorical detention limits reduce the government’s ability to manage cases involving vulnerable individuals safely.
- Some local law-enforcement partners They may worry that tighter federal rules could complicate coordination when immigration-related arrests intersect with criminal investigations or public-safety concerns. They may prefer broader discretion for federal officers in time-sensitive situations.
Key Implications
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““limit the Department of Homeland Security from detaining children and individuals with a cognitive disability””
This would create a categorical restriction on DHS custody for two especially vulnerable groups. In practice, it would push the government toward alternatives to detention or different handling procedures for those individuals.
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““prohibit immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations””
This would shield places like schools, hospitals, and houses of worship from routine immigration enforcement activity. The practical effect is to reduce the chance that people avoid essential services out of fear of enforcement.
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““without a court-issued criminal warrant””
This adds a judicial checkpoint before immigration officers can act at protected sites. It raises the legal standard for enforcement in those settings and may slow or limit some operations.
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““Department of Homeland Security””
The bill targets DHS, the federal department that includes immigration enforcement agencies. That means the policy change would apply to federal immigration operations rather than state or local programs.
Latest Status
May 29, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Will It Pass?
14% estimated chance of becoming law
The bill has been introduced in the House and was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary on May 29, 2026, which means it is at the committee stage and has not yet advanced to floor consideration. Measures dealing with immigration enforcement at sensitive locations and detention limits often draw clear partisan and stakeholder divisions, with civil-liberties and immigrant-rights advocates generally supportive and enforcement-focused groups more skeptical. Historically, bills in this policy area face a difficult path unless they gain broad bipartisan backing and committee leadership support.
Pass percentages are model estimates and may be inaccurate.
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Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.