Congress·In Committee·H.R. 1061

Congress proposes blocking many immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of schools, hospitals

Protecting Sensitive Locations Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Proposes Restricting Immigration Enforcement Near Sensitive Locations

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

Immigration officers generally could not arrest, question, search, or watch people for immigration reasons at or within 1,000 feet of many “sensitive locations.”
From policy text
“An enforcement action may not take place at, be focused on, or occur within, 1,000 feet of a sensitive location, except under exigent circumstances.”
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Sensitive locations listed include schools and school bus stops, hospitals and clinics, places of worship, shelters and food banks, courthouses and lawyers’ offices, Social Security and public aid offices, DMVs, polling places, and public protests.
From policy text
“Any medical or mental healthcare facility, including any hospital, health care practitioner's office, accredited health clinic, vaccination or testing site, or emergent or urgent care facility, or community health center.”
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Officers could still act in urgent situations like an immediate threat to safety, terrorism concerns, hot pursuit, or to prevent key evidence from being destroyed.
From policy text
“The imminent risk of death, violence, or physical harm to any person, including a situation implicating terrorism or the national security of the United States in some other manner.”
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If officers break the rule, the bill says the government cannot use what it learned from that action in deportation court, and the person could ask to end the case right away.
From policy text
“no information resulting from the enforcement action may be entered into the record or received into evidence in a removal proceeding resulting from the enforcement action”
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The bill would require yearly training and detailed reports to oversight offices and Congress after any enforcement action at a sensitive location; the changes would start 90 days after the law takes effect.
From policy text
“The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.”
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ImmigrationCivil RightsCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(2)

Criminal Record

Neutral

Federal Employee

Neutral

Positive Impacts(17)

Immigrant

Helps

Unemployment Benefits

Helps

Social Security

Helps

Snap Food Stamps

Helps

Housing Assistance

Helps

Disability Benefits

Helps

Green Card

Helps

Visa Holder

Helps

Undocumented

Helps

Child Tax Credit

Helps

Renter

Helps

Student

Helps

Medicaid

Helps

Medicare

Helps

Chronic Illness

Helps

Mental Health

Helps

Pregnant

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 6, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Feb 6, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Within 90 days after the bill becomes law

DHS publishes rules defining key roles like which officials count as the “supervisor” and who can approve rare pre-planned sensitive-location arrests for non-ICE/CBP personnel.

People may start to see clearer, more consistent enforcement limits across different DHS teams and any local partners using DHS authority.

90 days after the bill becomes law

The sensitive-location limits (the 1,000-foot buffer and the “stop and ask a supervisor if unsure” rule) begin to apply.

Immigration enforcement actions would generally have to move away from places like schools, hospitals, shelters, courts, DMVs, and polling places unless there is an immediate safety threat or a rare approved operation.

Starting within the first year after the bill becomes law, then every year

ICE and CBP begin (or update) yearly required training for supervised employees on sensitive-location rules and related protections.

More officers should know the boundaries, which can reduce on-the-spot confusion and reduce enforcement activity that violates the rule.

Within 30 days after any such enforcement action

DHS sends a report to the DHS Inspector General and DHS civil rights office after each sensitive-location enforcement action that still happens under an exception.

Each incident is more likely to be reviewed, and patterns (like repeated actions near certain schools or shelters) are easier to spot.

Annually after the first full year of implementation

ICE and CBP send yearly public-agency-style summaries to Congress listing when and where sensitive-location actions happened and whether there were collateral arrests.

More transparency could lead to oversight hearings or policy changes if reports show frequent actions near certain sensitive locations.

Annually after implementation begins

The DHS Inspector General issues an annual report to Congress summarizing complaints about sensitive-location enforcement actions.

People and community groups may have a clearer pathway to complain, and DHS may face pressure to fix recurring problems.

Related News

9 articles

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (Press Release)·about 1 year ago

Bennet, Hickenlooper, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Sensitive Locations from ICE Raids

Announces introduction of the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to limit immigration enforcement at places like schools, hospitals, and places of worship, with exigent-circumstances exceptions and reporting/training requirements.

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Senator John Hickenlooper (Press Release)·about 1 year ago

Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Sensitive Locations from ICE Raids

Press release on introducing the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to limit immigration arrests at sensitive locations (schools, hospitals, places of worship), describing key provisions and rationale.

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U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (Press Release)·about 1 year ago

Rosen Helps Introduce Bill to Protect Sensitive Locations from Immigration Raids

Announcement supporting the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to bar immigration enforcement activity in locations like schools, hospitals, and churches, with discussion of the policy change the bill would counteract.

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