Luján Introduces Legislative Package to Hold ICE and CBP Accountable, Increase Transparency, and Make Communities Safer

Legislative Efforts Follow Major DHS Scandals, Killings of American Citizens

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Homeland Security Improvement Act, DHS Hiring Review Act, and the Location Updates for Custody and Transparency Enforcement Act (LOCATE) Act. The three pieces of legislation boost training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, increase transparency, and strengthen oversight.

"With multiple deadly shootings of American citizens by federal agents in Minnesota and no accountability, it's clear that Kristi Noem and Donald Trump's ICE and CBP are out of control and need to be reined in," said Senator Luján. "A critical step to make our communities safer is ensuring ICE and CBP agents are properly trained, vetted, and held accountable. That's why I'm introducing these bills to ensure ICE agents and CBP officers operate with the proper training and oversight. We cannot stand by and let ICE and CBP continue to terrorize our communities without guardrails. I urge my colleagues to pass these bills to create real accountability and help protect our communities."

The Homeland Security Improvement Act: This comprehensive legislation improves public safety in border communities and gives border residents the ability to provide recommendations and oversight of border policies. Specifically, the legislation would establish a commission within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) comprised of representatives from northern and southern border states and a DHS Office of the Ombudsman, mandate certain training and education for ICE and CBP officers and agents, such as community policing practices, lawful use of force and de-escalation tactics, and history and ethics of asylum law, and require reports from DHS and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessing staffing needs, use of body-worn cameras, use of force policies, and death of migrants while in custody.

The DHS Hiring Review Act: The legislation would require Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to audit the personnel files for all agents and officers hired since the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law to ensure the officers had met the requirements for hiring. Specifically, the legislation would ensure that their records were checked against State-level misconduct files, certify they completed the required training, and a GAO report based on the requirements of the bill.

Location Updates for Custody and Transparency Enforcement (LOCATE) Act: This legislation adjusts how long ICE and CBP have to update the Online Detainee Locator System to 6 hours for CBP and 12 hours for ICE. Currently, the Online Detainee Locator System is only updated about every 48 hours. The Online Detainee Locator System is a critical tool to locate a detainee who is currently in ICE or CPB custody.

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