H.R. 7785

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7785 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7785

To improve accountability and training for Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 4, 2026

Mrs. Beatty introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To improve accountability and training for Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Our 
Communities Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Body cameras.
Sec. 3. Insignia and identification required for law enforcement 
officers and agents engaged in border 
security or immigration enforcement.
Sec. 4. Deescalation traning.
Sec. 5. Requiring notification for local law enforcement.
Sec. 6. Reporting Requirements.

SEC. 2. BODY CAMERAS.

(a) Body and Vehicle Camera Requirements.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall develop and disseminate a Department-wide directive 
requiring the use of--
(A) body-worn cameras by all Federal immigration 
enforcement personnel; and
(B) dashboard cameras for all vehicles being used 
in Federal immigration enforcement operations and 
associated recording protocols.
(2) Requirement for body camera.--A body camera required 
under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) have a field of view at least as broad as the 
officer's vision; and
(B) be worn in a manner that maximizes the camera's 
ability to capture video footage of the officer's 
activities.
(3) Requirement to activate.--
(A) In general.--Both the video and audio recording 
functions of the body camera shall be activated 
whenever a Federal immigration enforcement personnel is 
participating in a Federal immigration enforcement 
operation, except that when an immediate threat to the 
person's life or safety makes activating the camera 
impossible or dangerous the Federal immigration 
enforcement personnel shall activate the camera at the 
first reasonable opportunity to do so.
(B) Allowable deactivation.--The body camera shall 
not be deactivated until the Federal immigration 
enforcement operation ceases and the Federal 
immigration enforcement personnel leaves the scene.
(4) Limitations on use of body camera.--Body cameras shall 
not be used to gather intelligence information based on First 
Amendment protected speech, associations, or religion, or to 
record activity that is unrelated to a Federal immigration 
enforcement operation, and shall not be equipped with or employ 
any facial recognition technologies.
(5) Retention of footage.--
(A) In general.--Body camera and dashboard camera 
video footage shall be retained by the Department of 
Homeland Security for one year after the date on which 
it was recorded, after which time such footage shall be 
permanently deleted.
(B) Right to inspect.--During the one year 
retention period described in paragraph (1), the 
following persons shall have the right to inspect the 
body camera footage:
(i) Any person who is a subject of body 
camera video footage, and their designated 
legal counsel.
(ii) A parent or legal guardian of a minor 
subject of body camera video footage, and their 
designated legal counsel.
(iii) The spouse, next of kin, or legally 
authorized designee of a deceased subject of 
body camera video footage, and their designated 
legal counsel.
(iv) A Federal immigration enforcement 
personnel whose body camera recorded the video 
footage, and their designated legal counsel, 
subject to the limitations and restrictions in 
this Act.
(v) The superior officer of a Federal 
immigration enforcement personnel whose body 
camera recorded the video footage, subject to 
the limitations and restrictions in this Act.
(vi) Any defense counsel who claims, 
pursuant to a written affidavit, to have a 
reasonable basis for believing a video may 
contain evidence that exculpates a client.
(6) Principles.--In preparing the directive required under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall include 
the following:
(A) Benchmarks for implementation of the use of 
body-worn cameras by Federal immigration enforcement 
personnel and dashboard cameras for vehicles being used 
for Federal immigration enforcement to conform with a 
standard that cameras are on by default and may only be 
turned off in certain circumstances.
(B) Training requirements, procedures, and best 
practices for the use of body-worn cameras and 
dashboard cameras.
(C) Plans to publicize the directive and the 
requirements set forth in this section to ensure 
Federal immigration enforcement personnel and other 
impacted individuals are notified of new policies.

SEC. 3. INSIGNIA AND IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICERS AND AGENTS ENGAGED IN BORDER SECURITY OR 
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.

(a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 714. INSIGNIA AND IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICERS AND AGENTS ENGAGED IN BORDER SECURITY OR 
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.

``(a) Requirements.--
``(1) In general.--If a law enforcement officer or agent of 
the Department detains or arrests an individual in connection 
with a border security or immigration enforcement function of 
such officer or agent, during such detention or arrest, as the 
case may be, such officer or agent--
``(A) shall--
``(i) provide such individual with an 
identification of the component of the 
Department that employs such officer or agent; 
and
``(ii) display or wear the official 
insignia or uniform of such officer or agent in 
a manner that is visible to individuals other 
than such officer or agent; and
``(B) may not wear a face covering or any other 
item that conceals the face of such officer or agent.
``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
be construed to limit or prohibit the use of tactical gear by 
law enforcement officers and agents consistent with the 
policies and procedures of the Department.
``(3) Reports.--
``(A) Initial report.--Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report on the policies and procedures of the 
Department regarding the use of tactical gear by law 
enforcement officers and agents of the Department.
``(B) Updates.--If the Secretary modifies the 
policies or procedures of the Department regarding the 
use of tactical gear by law enforcement officers or 
agents of the Department, not later than 30 days after 
any such modification, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report 
relating thereto.
``(b) Research and Development.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Under Secretary for Science and Technology, and in coordination with 
the heads of components of the Department that employ law enforcement 
officers or agents, shall carry out research and development of 
technology to maximize the visibility of the official insignia or 
uniform of such an officer or agent to be utilized during detentions or 
arrests, including technology to maximize such visibility in response 
to certain factors in connection with such detentions or arrests, 
including the following:
``(1) Location.
``(2) Time of day.
``(3) Weather.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Law enforcement officer or agent.--The term `law 
enforcement officer or agent' means a law enforcement officer 
or agent of the Department, including U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
``(2) Official insignia or uniform.--The term `official 
insignia or uniform' has the meaning given such term in section 
716 of title 18, United States Code.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for such Act is 
amended by inserting after the item pertaining to section 713 the 
following:

``714. Insignia and identification required for law enforcement 
officers and agents engaged in border 
security or immigration enforcement.''.

SEC. 4. DEESCALATION TRANING.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop 
training curricula or identify effective existing training curricula 
for Federal immigration enforcement personnel regarding--
(1) deescalation tactics; and
(2) alternatives to use of force.
(b) Particular Inclusions.--The training curricula developed or 
identified under subsection (a) shall include--
(1) scenario-based exercises;
(2) pretraining and posttraining tests to assess relevant 
knowledge and skills covered in the training curricula; and
(3) followup evaluative assessments to determine the degree 
to which participants in the training apply, in their jobs, the 
knowledge and skills gained in the training.
(c) Consultation Required.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall develop and identify training curricula under this section in 
consultation with relevant law enforcement agencies of States and units 
of local government, immigrant organizations, associations that 
represent individuals with mental or behavioral health diagnoses or 
individuals with disabilities, labor organizations, professional law 
enforcement organizations, local law enforcement labor and 
representative organizations, law enforcement trade associations, 
mental health and suicide prevention organizations, family advocacy 
organizations, and civil rights and civil liberties groups.

SEC. 5. REQUIRING NOTIFICATION FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Federal immigration enforcement shall notify local law enforcement 
of impending operations in their jurisdiction.

SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

Beginning not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of 
this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to 
Congress the following reports on the criteria Federal immigration 
enforcement personnel use to determine whether an immigrant poses a 
public safety or national security threat:
(1) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to 
Congress a report every 6 months detailing--
(A) instances where nondeadly force was used;
(B) the level of public safety or national security 
threat the target posed;
(C) for what reason nondeadly force was 
administered;
(D) specific instances where nondeadly force was 
improperly administered; and
(E) the measures the Department took to ensure 
accountability for improper use of force.
(2) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to 
Congress a report every 6 months detailing instances of 
assaults against Federal immigration enforcement personnel. The 
report shall include--
(A) the total number of personnel involved in 
immigration enforcement operations;
(B) the number of assaults against Federal 
immigration enforcement personnel; and
(C) details on the severity of those instances.
(3) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall send a report 
to Congress every 6 months detailing all instances in which 
Federal immigration enforcement personnel operated without 
displaying or wearing the official insignia or uniform.
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