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To provide a civil remedy for any individual whose rights have been violated by a Federal law enforcement officer carrying out an immigration-related enforcement action.
Summary
This bill creates a civil remedy allowing individuals to sue the United States government for violations of their constitutional or statutory rights during immigration-related enforcement actions by federal law enforcement officers. Individuals can bring civil lawsuits against the federal government for any deprivation of constitutional or legal rights, regardless of whether the officer was acting consistent with official policy or practice. If the United States is found liable, the federal agency that employed the officer must pay damages, and the claimant is entitled to $2,000,000 in punitive damages in addition to any compensatory damages. The bill does not require individuals to exhaust administrative remedies before filing suit, and it does not prevent separate lawsuits against individual officers.
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)
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM)
Actions (2)
- Apr 16, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. · senate
- Apr 16, 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.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 16 (legislative day, April 14), 2026
Mr. Lujan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To provide a civil remedy for any individual whose rights have been violated by a Federal law enforcement officer carrying out an immigration-related enforcement action.
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 “Victims of Immigration Conduct Enforcement Act” or the “VOICE Act”.
SEC. 2. CIVIL REMEDY FOR VICTIMS OF UNLAWFUL IMMIGRATION-RELATED ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
Section 2674 of title 28, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting “(a)” before “The United States shall be liable, respecting”;
(2) by inserting “(b)” before “If, however,”;
(3) by inserting “(c)” before “With respect to any claim under this chapter,”;
(4) by inserting “(d)” before “With respect to any claim to which this section applies,”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(e)(1) In this subsection, the term ‘Federal law enforcement officer’ has the meaning given the term ‘law enforcement officer’ in section 1515 of title 18.
“(2) If, while acting under color of law to carry out an immigration-related enforcement action, a Federal law enforcement officer, or any other person acting under the direction of a Federal law enforcement officer, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any individual within the jurisdiction of the United States to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States, the United States shall be liable to the aggrieved party in an action at law, a suit in equity, or any other proper proceeding for redress, regardless of whether the officer or other person was acting consistent with an official policy, practice, or custom.
“(3) Monetary damages awarded in a case authorized under paragraph
(2) shall be paid by the Federal agency that employed the Federal law enforcement officer who subjected or caused to be subjected, or under whose direction another person subjected or caused to be subjected, an individual to the deprivation of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States.
“(4) Section 2675(a) shall not apply to a civil action authorized under paragraph (2) of this subsection.
“(5) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or any other provision of law, if the United States is found liable in a case authorized under paragraph (2) of this subsection, the claimant shall be awarded $2,000,000 in punitive damages.
“(6) Nothing in this subsection may be construed to limit or preclude any legal, equitable, or other remedy that is otherwise available against an individual Federal law enforcement officer or other person.”. <all>
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