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S 3894
Introduced Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

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.

Introduced Feb 23, 2026

Latest action (Feb 23, 2026) Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Referred to
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Policy area
Immigration
Issues
Immigration

Summary
  • The bill prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from constructing, acquiring, renovating, or operating new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers or processing sites without first issuing a Federal Register notice open for at least 30 days of public comments.
  • The bill requires the Federal Register notice to describe the scope of the project, the agency's due diligence and compliance processes, environmental regulations compliance, and to include an economic impact analysis and engineering review addressing waste, water usage, and electrical demand.
  • The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to consider and respond to significant public comments and to enter into a signed, written agreement with the local mayor or county executive, the local legislative body majority, and the state governor authorizing the facility.
  • The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to submit a report to six specified Congressional committees at least 30 days before the facility commences construction or operation, including a fully executed copy of the agreement with local and state officials.

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)
7 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Jeanne Shaheen’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • THEGROUP $16,200
  • BLINK TECH INC. $13,200
  • PARKER MEGGITT $7,725
  • INSIGHT $7,600
  • FAROS PROPERTIES $6,600

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Jeanne Shaheen → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)
  1. Feb 23, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
  2. Feb 23, 2026 Introduced in Senate

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.

  • HR 7652 — Respect for Local Communities Act · Introduced Feb 23, 2026 · Cong. 119 85%
  • HR 8984 — Respect Our Communities Act · Introduced May 22, 2026 · Cong. 119 85%
  • HR 7423 — No Sanctuary Cities Act of 2026 · Introduced Feb 9, 2026 · Cong. 119 73%
  • HR 6397 — Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act · Introduced Dec 4, 2025 · Cong. 119 71%
  • HR 7870 — ICE Standards Act · Introduced Mar 9, 2026 · Cong. 119 71%
  • S 4589 — OPEN Act · Introduced May 20, 2026 · Cong. 119 71%

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 23, 2026

Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Ms. Hassan) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

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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