DHS Surveillance Technology Moratorium Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill would block DHS from spending any money on new, renewed, or expanded contracts for surveillance technology used in immigration enforcement. This covers tools like facial recognition, social media monitoring, cellphone tracking, and predictive analytics.
• The spending freeze stays in place until the DHS Inspector General finishes a full audit of all surveillance tools within 180 days, examining data collection practices, accuracy of predictive systems, and whether U.S. citizens' data is being swept up.
• After the audit, DHS must publish a public report naming every surveillance tool it uses, every contractor it pays, and all rules governing data retention and sharing with other agencies, state and local governments, and private companies.
• Existing contracts already in place would not be immediately canceled, and the DHS Secretary can waive the moratorium on a case-by-case basis for imminent threats to public safety or specific national security risks, but must notify Congress in writing within seven days.
• Once the moratorium ends, DHS would have to submit annual public reports to Congress detailing all surveillance technologies in use, any new contracts, privacy complaints, and continued compliance with constitutional and privacy protections.