Sponsors (3)
The bill increases civil remedies and reaffirms constitutional protections for people targeted by ICE/CBP, improving accountability and rights protections while raising litigation exposure, costs, and legal/operational uncertainty for federal agencies and enforcement activities.
Immigrants and others targeted by ICE/CBP can bring civil suits to seek remedies when officers violate constitutional rights, creating a clearer path to compensation and deterrence.
All people in the U.S. benefit from reaffirmed constitutional protections (First, Fourth, Fifth, Fourteenth), strengthening limits on searches, seizures, and protecting free speech and due process.
Taxpayers and federal agencies could face higher costs from increased scrutiny, litigation, and potential settlements or judgments if liability for ICE/CBP actions expands.
Unspecified or unclear changes to federal liability and remedies (text missing) create legal uncertainty for claimants, the Department of Justice, and agencies about whether rights/remedies are expanded or narrowed, complicating litigation strategy and administrative processing.
Publicizing allegations of misconduct and expanded exposure to claims may erode public trust in border enforcement agencies and complicate recruitment or retention of officers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Finds that ICE/CBP conduct violates constitutional rights and purports to amend federal tort liability law (28 U.S.C. §2674), but the actual amendment text is missing.
Declares that ICE and CBP practices have violated constitutional rights (First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments) through due-process breaches, racial profiling, unreasonable searches and seizures, and other misconduct; it notes resulting harms and the availability of civil suits as remedies. The bill also attempts to amend the federal statute in chapter 171 of title 28 (related to government tort liability), but the provided text omits the actual amendment language, so the concrete legal changes and effects cannot be determined from the supplied excerpt.
Official title: Provide a civil remedy for any individual whose rights have been violated by an officer or agent of U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Introduced January 29, 2026 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress January 29, 2026