Homeland Security Improvement Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a 30-member Border Oversight Commission with regional subcommittees for the northern and southern borders. Members would include local officials, law enforcement, civil rights advocates, business leaders, tribal officials, and Border Patrol agents, all serving 4-year terms without pay.
• A new Ombudsman office within DHS would handle complaints about border and immigration agencies, investigate problems, help victims of crimes or violence at the border, and create an online system for families to locate detained individuals. Complaints must be resolved within one year.
• Border Patrol agents would need at least 23 weeks of initial training and 8 hours of annual continuing education covering civil rights, de-escalation tactics, cultural awareness, use of force, and identifying vulnerable populations like children and trafficking victims.
• Law enforcement officers making border stops would be required to record detailed data about each encounter, including the person's perceived race, gender, ethnicity, and age, and whether body cameras were used. This data would be compiled into annual public reports.
• The bill prohibits separating children from parents solely to deter migration or enforce immigration compliance. Separation is only allowed when a state court or child welfare expert determines the child is in danger. Violators face fines up to $10,000 per occurrence.
• The bill mandates a GAO study on whether an independent immigration court system outside the executive branch is feasible, which could address concerns about judicial independence and case backlogs in current immigration proceedings.