Johnson Introduces Bill to Limit Qualified Immunity for Federal Law Enforcement

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Julie Johnson (TX-32) introduced the Qualified Immunity Accountability Act. This bill will limit qualified immunity for federal law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, by lowering the standard for prosecution when an individual's civil rights are violated.

"Across this country, we are witnessing ICE agents operate with impunity-violating constitutional rights, terrorizing communities, killing American citizens, and facing little to no accountability. ICE agents have been abusing their power, and the Department of Homeland Security refuses to rein them in," said Johnson. "Qualified immunity has become a shield for misconduct, not a protection for good-faith law enforcement. My Qualified Immunity Accountability Act makes clear that no federal law enforcement officer is above the Constitution. When civil rights are violated, there must be real consequences. This bill is about restoring accountability, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that justice applies equally to everyone."

Qualified immunity protects public officials and law enforcement, including ICE agents, from being held civilly liable-even when they violate someone's rights-unless a court has already ruled that the same conduct was illegal.

This bill builds on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by tightening qualified immunity standards so they cannot be used to shield clear violations of constitutional rights, as we have seen in past situations such as the murder of George Floyd and others.

To read the full text of the legislation, click here.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson represents Texas's 32nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving on the Homeland Security Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Administration Committee. Her district includes parts of Collin, Dallas, and Denton Counties.

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