Sponsor
Joseph Morelle
Representative · D-NY
Representative · D-NY
The bill strengthens local control, transparency, and planning around new CBP/ICE facilities but trades those benefits for greater procedural delay, higher federal administrative costs, and risk of uneven national detention/processing capacity.
State and local elected officials are given formal authority and clearer designation as parties in decisions about new CBP/ICE processing or detention sites, increasing local control and representation over siting.
Local communities and governments must receive required economic and infrastructure impact analyses (waste, water, electricity) for proposed sites, helping prevent unforeseen strain on local services and budgets.
The public gets at least 30 days to review and comment on proposed facilities, improving transparency and accountability around siting decisions.
Immigrants and federal agencies could face slower construction or opening of processing and detention capacity because added procedural reviews, required sign-offs, and potential local vetoes delay projects, risking gaps or unevenness in national immigration operations.
Taxpayers and federal agencies may incur higher costs and administrative burden from required impact analyses, responding to public comments, intergovernmental agreements, and additional reporting.
Labeling contractor-operated sites and Detention Reengineering Initiative projects as covered may trigger legal disputes and greater local opposition that complicate planning, approvals, and modernization of facilities.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Prevents federal agencies from starting new CBP/ICE processing or detention site projects until public notice, comment, state/local agreement, and a 30‑day post‑report wait are completed.
Official title: To prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from constructing, acquiring, renovating, or operating any new processing site or detention center without providing a mechanism for public comments regarding such activity, entering into a signed, written agreement with appropriate State and local officials, and providing Congress with advance notice of such activity.
Introduced May 21, 2026 by Joseph Morelle · Last progress May 21, 2026
Stops federal agencies from beginning construction, purchase, renovation, or operation of any new CBP or ICE processing site or detention center until a set of procedural steps are completed. Agencies must publish a 30‑day Federal Register notice with project scope, due diligence and environmental compliance materials, an economic and engineering analysis, respond to significant public comments, sign a written agreement with the state governor and a majority of local elected officials, and wait at least 30 days after filing a report containing that agreement before proceeding.