Sponsor
Chellie Pingree
Representative · D-ME
Representative · D-ME
The bill strengthens privacy, transparency, and public recording rights around ICE biometric use and enforcement—protecting civil liberties and increasing fiscal disclosure—at the cost of near-term limits on ICE operations, potential loss of investigatory data, safety/operational risks, and economic disruption for contractors.
Immigrants and members of the public gain stronger privacy and due-process protections: ICE is restricted in using biometric/surveillance data collected while people exercised constitutional rights and must provide notice and opportunities to review, contest, or remove information.
Members of the public (including journalists) can record immigration enforcement without DHS using federal funds to prohibit that documentation (so long as it doesn't interfere), increasing transparency and accountability of enforcement actions.
A temporary pause on operating/expanding biometric systems and on ICE hiring creates space for Congress and DHS to set stronger privacy safeguards before further investment or expansion.
ICE operations and investigations could be constrained in the near term because the bill pauses operating surveillance systems and hiring, reducing enforcement capacity and slowing some investigations.
Mandatory deletion of biometric/surveillance data collected since Jan 1, 2026 risks removing information useful for ongoing investigations or national-security matters unless the Secretary issues a preservation rule.
Limiting DHS's ability to use federal funds to restrict recording could hinder protection of operational security or the privacy of vulnerable individuals (e.g., victims), making some sensitive enforcement activities harder to conduct safely.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Stops DHS from funding biometric/surveillance operations and ICE hiring until DHS issues a required policy and report, requires deletion of certain recent biometric data, and protects recording of enforcement actions.
Official title: To provide for a limitation on the obligation of funds for certain immigration enforcement purposes until a report on the use of databases by immigration officers is submitted.
Introduced February 26, 2026 by Chellie Pingree · Last progress February 26, 2026
Bars the Department of Homeland Security from spending money to operate biometric or other surveillance systems, to enter or continue contracts for them, or to hire additional ICE personnel for 30 days after enactment and until DHS issues a required ICE policy and report; requires deletion of biometric data collected from Jan 1, 2026 through enactment unless DHS issues the policy by rule. Also prohibits DHS from using funds to stop people from recording or documenting immigration enforcement or removal operations so long as recordings do not interfere with operations.