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Respect for Local Communities Act
To prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from constructing, acquiring, renovating, or operating any new processing site or detention center without providing a mechanism for public comments regarding such activity, entering into a signed, written agreement with appropriate State and local officials, and providing Congress with advance notice of such activity.
Summary
This bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to follow specific procedures before building, acquiring, or operating new immigration detention facilities operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. DHS would have to issue a public notice in the Federal Register and allow at least 30 days for public comments, which must include economic impact analysis and engineering reviews of the facility. The agency would be required to respond to significant public comments and obtain a signed written agreement from local government officials and the state governor before proceeding. The bill also requires DHS to notify Congress at least 30 days in advance with a copy of the signed agreement. The bill does not prohibit new detention facilities but establishes a process requiring local and state approval and public input.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] (D-NH)
7 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Feb 23, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Feb 23, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 23, 2026
Mr. Pappas (for himself and Ms. Goodlander) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from constructing, acquiring, renovating, or operating any new processing site or detention center without providing a mechanism for public comments regarding such activity, entering into a signed, written agreement with appropriate State and local officials, and providing Congress with advance notice of such activity.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Respect for Local Communities Act”.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate local government officials.—The term “appropriate local government officials” means—
(A) the mayor, county executive, or equivalent elected official of the town, city, county or other local jurisdiction in which a new processing facility or detention center will be located; and
(B) a majority of the town council, city council, county council, county commission, or equivalent legislative authority in which a new processing facility or detention center will be located.
(2) New processing site or detention center.—The term “new processing site or detention center” means any facility operated by, or pursuant to a contract with, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including any facility designed under the Detention Reengineering Initiative, that, beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, will be used to temporarily hold persons pending the resolution or completion of immigration removal operations or processes.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW ICE PROCESSING SITES AND DETENTION CENTERS.
The Department of Homeland Security or any other Federal agency may not initiate the construction, acquisition, renovation, or operation of, or otherwise acquire an interest in real property to be used as, a new processing site or detention center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement until—
(1) the relevant Federal agency issues a public notice in the Federal Register that—
(A) is open for public comments for a period lasting at least 30 days;
(B) describes the scope of the construction, acquisition, renovation, or operation;
(C) includes information regarding such agency’s due diligence process, which shall explain how such agency will comply with—
(i) Federal guidance and standards related to immigration detention; and
(ii) applicable environmental regulations;
(D) includes any other information or documentation relevant to such new processing site or detention center; and
(E) includes an economic impact analysis and an engineering review that addresses the site or center’s waste exportation, water usage, and electrical demand;
(2) after the conclusion of the public comment period, the head of the relevant Federal agency—
(A) considers and responds to significant comments received in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code; and
(B) enters into a signed, written agreement with appropriate local government officials and the Governor of the State in which such processing site or detention center will be located that authorizes such construction, acquisition, renovation, or operation, as applicable; and
(3) at least 30 days has elapsed since the head of the relevant Federal agency submitted a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives regarding such planned construction, acquisition, renovation, or operation that includes a fully executed copy of the agreement described in paragraph (2). <all>
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