Sponsors (8)
The bill strengthens protections for immigration officers by deterring interference and harassment but does so using broad criminal prohibitions that risk chilling lawful protest and journalistic oversight and could increase prosecution and incarceration costs.
Federal immigration enforcement officers: reduced close‑proximity interference and threats, improving personal safety and ability to carry out enforcement duties.
Law enforcement officers: a prohibition on harassing conduct (including repeated conduct causing substantial emotional distress) creates a deterrent against targeted, repeated harassment of officers.
Protesters, journalists, legal observers, and bystanders: vague and broad definitions of 'harass' and intent could criminalize lawful protest, reporting, or observation near immigration officers and chill free speech and oversight.
Members of the public (including civil observers and protesters): approaching or protesting near immigration officers could trigger felony charges and up to 5 years' imprisonment, substantially increasing risks of criminalization and incarceration for civil disobedience or observation.
Taxpayers and local governments: federal criminalization of conduct near immigration officers could shift prosecution and incarceration burdens to federal and local systems, increasing costs for courts, prosecutors, and jails.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal crime for knowingly approaching or remaining within 25 feet of a federal immigration enforcement officer after a warning with intent to impede, threaten, or harass, punishable by fine or up to 5 years imprisonment.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a criminal penalty for obstructing immigration enforcement activities.
Introduced March 5, 2026 by Michael A. Rulli · Last progress March 5, 2026
Creates a new federal crime that makes it illegal to approach or remain within 25 feet of a federal immigration enforcement officer after receiving a verbal warning not to approach, when the person knows or reasonably should know who the officer is and intends to impede, threaten, or harass the officer. The offense carries a fine, up to 5 years imprisonment, or both. Defines "harass" as a course of conduct intended to cause substantial emotional distress with no legitimate purpose, and adds a conforming entry to the Title 18 table of sections for the new offense.