To prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from entering into, modifying, extending, or renewing, any contract or intergovernmental service agreement to establish or operate any new immigration detention model, including the use of warehouses, modular facilities, soft-sided structures, tent systems, and processing centers.

119th Congress Introduced by Greg Casar and 24 co-sponsors

DHS would be barred from entering, modifying, renewing, or extending contracts or intergovernmental agreements to create or operate new immigration detention facilities using speci

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

Title

To prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from entering into, modifying, extending, or renewing any contract or intergovernmental service agreement to establish or operate any new immigration detention model, including the use of warehouses, modular facilities, soft-sided structures, tent systems, and processing centers.

Purpose and Intent

The bill seeks to halt the expansion or creation of new immigration detention facilities by DHS by restricting contract activity related to detention models.

Specifically, it targets arrangements to establish or operate new detention facilities or processing centers described as warehouses, modular facilities, soft-sided structures, tent systems, or similar processing centers.

Key Provisions (as described by the bill’s title and scope)

Prohibition on DHS entering into new contracts or intergovernmental service agreements (ISAs) for the purpose of establishing or operating any new immigration detention model.

Prohibition on modifying, extending, or renewing existing contracts or ISAs if the underlying objective is to support the creation or operation of new detention facilities using described facility types (warehouses, modular facilities, soft-sided structures, tent systems, processing centers).

The language implies a broad administrative bar on expanding detention capacity through new contractual arrangements with partners, vendors, or other levels of government.

Affected Parties and Entities

Primary: Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Contractors, vendors, subcontractors, and intergovernmental partners that provide, manage, or operate immigration detention facilities or related processing infrastructure.

Any entities involved in negotiating, modifying, or renewing detention-related contracts or ISAs with DHS.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Action history indicates:

Introduced in the House and referred on 2026-04-23.
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee for consideration of provisions within their jurisdiction, with a period to be determined by the Speaker.

As of the provided information, no floor passage or enactment date is shown; the bill is at committee referral stage.

Potential Impact and Context

If enacted, DHS would be restricted from creating or expanding detention capacity through new or renewed contracts or intergovernmental service agreements tied to the specified detention models.

Could influence DHS’s approach to detention by slowing or preventing the establishment of newer facility types described in the bill (warehouses, modular facilities, tents, etc.).

The scope may affect ongoing procurement plans or partnerships if they would result in the establishment or operation of new detention facilities under the prohibited models.

The bill does not specify funding, oversight mechanisms, or penalties within the provided summary, but such details may be addressed in the full text or future amendments.

Notes for Readers

The bill has several co-sponsors, indicating bipartisan rather as a legislative proposal: Al Green, Delia Ramirez, Dan Goldman, Andrea Salinas, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Yvette Clarke, Danny Davis, Kelly Morrison, Shri Thanedar, Joaquin Castro, April McClain Delaney, Rashida Tlaib, and Chuy García.

Because the text focuses on contract and ISA prohibitions, it primarily affects DHS procurement and intergovernmental collaboration related to detention facilities.

Bill

Summary of HR 8494 (119th Congress)