[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5653 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5653
To amend section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require
all immigration enforcement officers to wear and operate a body camera
during public-facing immigration enforcement actions and to promote
transparency and accountability.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 30, 2025
Mr. Norcross introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on
Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require
all immigration enforcement officers to wear and operate a body camera
during public-facing immigration enforcement actions and to promote
transparency and accountability.
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 ``Trust Through Transparency Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. IN GENERAL.
Section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1357)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Body Camera Usage.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than each covered immigration
agent shall wear and operate a body camera during any public
immigration enforcement function.
``(2) Use of footage.--Except as provided in paragraph (3),
video footage from such a body camera shall be retained by
Immigration and Customs Enforcement for six months from the
date the footage was recorded. The video footage shall
thereafter be permanently deleted unless the footage captures--
``(A) images involving any use of force;
``(B) events preceding and including an arrest for
a crime or attempted crime; or
``(C) an encounter about which a complaint has been
registered by a subject of the video footage.
``(3) Extended retention period.--Video footage from such a
body camera shall be retained for not less than three years if
a longer retention period is voluntarily requested by--
``(A) the covered immigration officer whose body
worn camera recorded the video footage, if that officer
reasonably asserts the video footage has evidentiary or
exculpatory value;
``(B) a covered immigration officer who is a
subject of the video footage, if that officer
reasonably asserts the video footage has evidentiary or
exculpatory value;
``(C) any superior officer of an officer whose body
worn camera recorded the video footage or who is a
subject of the video footage, if that superior officer
reasonably asserts the video footage has evidentiary or
exculpatory value;
``(D) a covered immigration officer, if the video
footage is being retained solely and exclusively for
training purposes;
``(E) a member of the public who is a subject of
the video footage;
``(F) a parent or legal guardian of a minor who is
a subject of the video footage; or
``(G) a deceased subject's next of kin or legally
authorized designee.
``(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) The term `covered immigration officer' means
any individual who is--
``(i) authorized to perform immigration
enforcement functions; and
``(ii)(I) an officer or employee of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection;
``(II) an officer or employee of U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; or
``(III) an individual authorized,
deputized, or designated under Federal law,
regulation, or agreement to perform immigration
enforcement functions, including pursuant to
subsection (g) or any other delegation or
agreement with the Department of Homeland
Security.
``(B) The term `body worn camera' means a mobile
audio and video recording system worn by a law
enforcement officer, but shall not include a recording
device worn by a law enforcement officer while engaging
in an undercover assignment.
``(C) The term `public immigration enforcement
function'--
``(i) means any activity that involves the
direct exercise of Federal immigration
authority through public-facing actions,
including a patrol, a stop, an arrest, a
search, an interview to determine immigration
status, a raid, a check point inspection, or
the service of a judicial or administrative
warrant; and
``(ii) does not include covert, non-public
operations or non-enforcement activities.''.
SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE AND REPORTING.
(a) Internal Accountability.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall ensure that any covered immigration officer who fails to comply
with the requirements under section 287(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act shall receive appropriate administrative discipline,
including written reprimand, suspension, or other personnel actions,
consistent with agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining
agreement.
(b) Annual Report to Congress.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the Office for
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department of Homeland
Security, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that
includes--
(1) the total number of public immigration enforcement
functions conducted during the reporting period;
(2) the number of documented instances of noncompliance
with section 287(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and
(3) a summary of disciplinary or remedial actions taken
against those responsible for such instances of noncompliance.
(c) Public Availability.--The annual report shall be made available
to the public on the website of the Department of Homeland Security
within 30 days of submission to Congress. The Inspector General may
redact information from the public version of the report where
necessary to protect sensitive law enforcement operations, ongoing
investigations, or individual privacy, provided that the justification
for such redactions is included.
(d) Independent Review Panel.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall establish an independent advisory panel composed of individuals
with expertise in civil rights, privacy, technology, and law
enforcement oversight to provide non-binding recommendations on
policies governing the use and management of body cameras and recorded
footage.
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