HouseH.R. 8984119th Congress
Respect Our Communities Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8984 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8984
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 21, 2026
Mr. Morelle 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 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Respect Our Communities Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate local government officials.--The term
``appropriate local government officials'' means--
(A) the mayor, county executive, or equivalent
elected official of the town, city, county or other
local jurisdiction in which a new processing facility
or detention center will be located; and
(B) a majority of the town council, city council,
county council, county commission, or equivalent
legislative authority in which a new processing
facility or detention center will be located.
(2) New processing site or detention center.--The term
``new processing site or detention center'' means any facility
operated by, or pursuant to a contract with, U.S. Customs and
Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
including any facility designed under the Detention
Reengineering Initiative, that, beginning on or after the date
of the enactment of this Act, will be used to temporarily hold
persons pending the resolution or completion of immigration
removal operations or processes.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW CBP AND ICE PROCESSING SITES AND DETENTION
CENTERS.
The Department of Homeland Security or any other Federal agency may
not initiate the construction, acquisition, renovation, or operation
of, or otherwise acquire an interest in real property to be used as, a
new processing site or detention center for U.S. Customs and Border
Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement until--
(1) the relevant Federal agency issues a public notice in
the Federal Register that--
(A) is open for public comments for a period
lasting at least 30 days;
(B) describes the scope of the construction,
acquisition, renovation, or operation;
(C) includes information regarding such agency's
due diligence process, which shall explain how such
agency will comply with--
(i) Federal guidance and standards related
to immigration detention; and
(ii) applicable environmental regulations;
(D) includes any other information or documentation
relevant to such new processing site or detention
center; and
(E) includes an economic impact analysis and an
engineering review that addresses the site or center's
waste exportation, water usage, and electrical demand;
(2) after the conclusion of the public comment period, the
head of the relevant Federal agency--
(A) considers and responds to significant comments
received in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 5
of title 5, United States Code; and
(B) enters into a signed, written agreement with
appropriate local government officials and the Governor
of the State in which such processing site or detention
center will be located that authorizes such
construction, acquisition, renovation, or operation, as
applicable; and
(3) at least 30 days has elapsed since the head of the
relevant Federal agency submitted a report to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on the
Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of
the House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives regarding such
planned construction, acquisition, renovation, or operation
that includes a fully executed copy of the agreement described
in paragraph (2).
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