Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8984

Respect Our Communities Act

Immigration: Local Approval for New Detention Centers

May 21·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

A house committee must act next: committee consideration.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Very unlikely to pass

This bill gives local governments a veto over federal immigration operations, which is a major change that rarely gains enough support to pass both houses of Congress.

Key Points

This bill would stop the Department of Homeland Security from building or opening new immigration detention centers without first getting permission from local and state leaders.
Before a new site could open, the government would have to hold a 30-day public comment period where people living in the area could share their thoughts and concerns.
The government would also be required to study how a new facility would affect the local economy, water supply, and power grid to ensure the town can handle the extra demand.
A new facility could only move forward if the Governor and local officials, like the Mayor and City Council, sign a written agreement allowing it.
Finally, the agency would have to give Congress a 30-day heads-up and a full report before starting any work on a new site.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions

May 22, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

May 21, 2026House

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.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

May 21, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes or news coverage recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Respect Our Communities Act

Bill NumberHR 8984

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.