[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7785 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7785
To improve accountability and training for Immigration and Customs
Enforcement.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 4, 2026
Mrs. Beatty introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on
Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve accountability and training for Immigration and Customs
Enforcement.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Our
Communities Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Body cameras.
Sec. 3. Insignia and identification required for law enforcement
officers and agents engaged in border
security or immigration enforcement.
Sec. 4. Deescalation traning.
Sec. 5. Requiring notification for local law enforcement.
Sec. 6. Reporting Requirements.
SEC. 2. BODY CAMERAS.
(a) Body and Vehicle Camera Requirements.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security
shall develop and disseminate a Department-wide directive
requiring the use of--
(A) body-worn cameras by all Federal immigration
enforcement personnel; and
(B) dashboard cameras for all vehicles being used
in Federal immigration enforcement operations and
associated recording protocols.
(2) Requirement for body camera.--A body camera required
under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) have a field of view at least as broad as the
officer's vision; and
(B) be worn in a manner that maximizes the camera's
ability to capture video footage of the officer's
activities.
(3) Requirement to activate.--
(A) In general.--Both the video and audio recording
functions of the body camera shall be activated
whenever a Federal immigration enforcement personnel is
participating in a Federal immigration enforcement
operation, except that when an immediate threat to the
person's life or safety makes activating the camera
impossible or dangerous the Federal immigration
enforcement personnel shall activate the camera at the
first reasonable opportunity to do so.
(B) Allowable deactivation.--The body camera shall
not be deactivated until the Federal immigration
enforcement operation ceases and the Federal
immigration enforcement personnel leaves the scene.
(4) Limitations on use of body camera.--Body cameras shall
not be used to gather intelligence information based on First
Amendment protected speech, associations, or religion, or to
record activity that is unrelated to a Federal immigration
enforcement operation, and shall not be equipped with or employ
any facial recognition technologies.
(5) Retention of footage.--
(A) In general.--Body camera and dashboard camera
video footage shall be retained by the Department of
Homeland Security for one year after the date on which
it was recorded, after which time such footage shall be
permanently deleted.
(B) Right to inspect.--During the one year
retention period described in paragraph (1), the
following persons shall have the right to inspect the
body camera footage:
(i) Any person who is a subject of body
camera video footage, and their designated
legal counsel.
(ii) A parent or legal guardian of a minor
subject of body camera video footage, and their
designated legal counsel.
(iii) The spouse, next of kin, or legally
authorized designee of a deceased subject of
body camera video footage, and their designated
legal counsel.
(iv) A Federal immigration enforcement
personnel whose body camera recorded the video
footage, and their designated legal counsel,
subject to the limitations and restrictions in
this Act.
(v) The superior officer of a Federal
immigration enforcement personnel whose body
camera recorded the video footage, subject to
the limitations and restrictions in this Act.
(vi) Any defense counsel who claims,
pursuant to a written affidavit, to have a
reasonable basis for believing a video may
contain evidence that exculpates a client.
(6) Principles.--In preparing the directive required under
paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall include
the following:
(A) Benchmarks for implementation of the use of
body-worn cameras by Federal immigration enforcement
personnel and dashboard cameras for vehicles being used
for Federal immigration enforcement to conform with a
standard that cameras are on by default and may only be
turned off in certain circumstances.
(B) Training requirements, procedures, and best
practices for the use of body-worn cameras and
dashboard cameras.
(C) Plans to publicize the directive and the
requirements set forth in this section to ensure
Federal immigration enforcement personnel and other
impacted individuals are notified of new policies.
SEC. 3. INSIGNIA AND IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS AND AGENTS ENGAGED IN BORDER SECURITY OR
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
(a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``SEC. 714. INSIGNIA AND IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS AND AGENTS ENGAGED IN BORDER SECURITY OR
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
``(a) Requirements.--
``(1) In general.--If a law enforcement officer or agent of
the Department detains or arrests an individual in connection
with a border security or immigration enforcement function of
such officer or agent, during such detention or arrest, as the
case may be, such officer or agent--
``(A) shall--
``(i) provide such individual with an
identification of the component of the
Department that employs such officer or agent;
and
``(ii) display or wear the official
insignia or uniform of such officer or agent in
a manner that is visible to individuals other
than such officer or agent; and
``(B) may not wear a face covering or any other
item that conceals the face of such officer or agent.
``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to limit or prohibit the use of tactical gear by
law enforcement officers and agents consistent with the
policies and procedures of the Department.
``(3) Reports.--
``(A) Initial report.--Not later than 30 days after
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
Senate a report on the policies and procedures of the
Department regarding the use of tactical gear by law
enforcement officers and agents of the Department.
``(B) Updates.--If the Secretary modifies the
policies or procedures of the Department regarding the
use of tactical gear by law enforcement officers or
agents of the Department, not later than 30 days after
any such modification, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report
relating thereto.
``(b) Research and Development.--The Secretary, acting through the
Under Secretary for Science and Technology, and in coordination with
the heads of components of the Department that employ law enforcement
officers or agents, shall carry out research and development of
technology to maximize the visibility of the official insignia or
uniform of such an officer or agent to be utilized during detentions or
arrests, including technology to maximize such visibility in response
to certain factors in connection with such detentions or arrests,
including the following:
``(1) Location.
``(2) Time of day.
``(3) Weather.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Law enforcement officer or agent.--The term `law
enforcement officer or agent' means a law enforcement officer
or agent of the Department, including U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
``(2) Official insignia or uniform.--The term `official
insignia or uniform' has the meaning given such term in section
716 of title 18, United States Code.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for such Act is
amended by inserting after the item pertaining to section 713 the
following:
``714. Insignia and identification required for law enforcement
officers and agents engaged in border
security or immigration enforcement.''.
SEC. 4. DEESCALATION TRANING.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop
training curricula or identify effective existing training curricula
for Federal immigration enforcement personnel regarding--
(1) deescalation tactics; and
(2) alternatives to use of force.
(b) Particular Inclusions.--The training curricula developed or
identified under subsection (a) shall include--
(1) scenario-based exercises;
(2) pretraining and posttraining tests to assess relevant
knowledge and skills covered in the training curricula; and
(3) followup evaluative assessments to determine the degree
to which participants in the training apply, in their jobs, the
knowledge and skills gained in the training.
(c) Consultation Required.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall develop and identify training curricula under this section in
consultation with relevant law enforcement agencies of States and units
of local government, immigrant organizations, associations that
represent individuals with mental or behavioral health diagnoses or
individuals with disabilities, labor organizations, professional law
enforcement organizations, local law enforcement labor and
representative organizations, law enforcement trade associations,
mental health and suicide prevention organizations, family advocacy
organizations, and civil rights and civil liberties groups.
SEC. 5. REQUIRING NOTIFICATION FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Federal immigration enforcement shall notify local law enforcement
of impending operations in their jurisdiction.
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Beginning not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of
this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to
Congress the following reports on the criteria Federal immigration
enforcement personnel use to determine whether an immigrant poses a
public safety or national security threat:
(1) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to
Congress a report every 6 months detailing--
(A) instances where nondeadly force was used;
(B) the level of public safety or national security
threat the target posed;
(C) for what reason nondeadly force was
administered;
(D) specific instances where nondeadly force was
improperly administered; and
(E) the measures the Department took to ensure
accountability for improper use of force.
(2) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to
Congress a report every 6 months detailing instances of
assaults against Federal immigration enforcement personnel. The
report shall include--
(A) the total number of personnel involved in
immigration enforcement operations;
(B) the number of assaults against Federal
immigration enforcement personnel; and
(C) details on the severity of those instances.
(3) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall send a report
to Congress every 6 months detailing all instances in which
Federal immigration enforcement personnel operated without
displaying or wearing the official insignia or uniform.
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