119-hr4542

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4542 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4542

 To prohibit the operation and funding of an immigration detention 
 facility in the Everglades, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 17, 2025

 Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself, Mr. Frost, Ms. Castor of Florida, 
 Mr. Soto, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mrs. 
Cherfilus-McCormick, and Mr. Moskowitz) 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 prohibit the operation and funding of an immigration detention 
 facility in the Everglades, and for other purposes.

 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 ``No Cages in the Everglades Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OPERATION AND FUNDING OF IMMIGRATION DETENTION 
 FACILITY IN THE EVERGLADES.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no 
funds made available to the Department of Homeland Security, including 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, may be obligated or expended 
for the following:

    (1) Planning, construction, leasing, operation, staffing, 
 or maintenance of any immigration detention facility located 
 within or adjacent to the Everglades ecosystem.

    (2) Contracting with any public entity for the purposes 
 described in paragraph

    (1) .

    (b) Right of Access.--

    (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
 law, any facility, including any facility described in 
 subsection

    (a)

    (1) , used to detain or house individuals in the 
 custody of the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. 
 Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or that is used to detain 
 or house individuals by the Department, whether operated by the 
 Federal Government or a State or local government, shall allow 
 Members of Congress and designated congressional staff to 
 conduct announced or unannounced inspections of such facility 
 at any time, consistent with applicable security and safety 
 protocols.

    (2) Prohibition on limitation.--The right of access 
 described in paragraph

    (1) may not be waived, limited, or 
 conditioned by any contract, lease, memorandum of 
 understanding, or other agreement between the Department of 
 Homeland Security and any State or local government operator of 
 a facility described in paragraph

    (1) .

    (3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
 be construed to require a Member of Congress or designated 
 congressional staff to provide prior notice of the intent to 
 enter a facility described in paragraph

    (1) for the purpose of 
 conducting oversight.
            (c) Independent Report.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the 
 Department of Homeland Security shall conduct an independent 
 inquiry and submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
 a report regarding the facility described in subsection

    (a)

    (1) . 
 Such report shall contain the following:
        (A) An accounting of the use of funds allocated to 
 or made available to the Department for such facility.
        (B) A description of the process that led to the 
 construction of such facility.
            (C) An evaluation of whether such facility 
 satisfies minimum Federal standards, including the 
 following:
            (i) National Detention Standards

    (NDS) 2000.
            (ii) Performance-Based National Detention 
 Standards

    (PBNDS) 2008.
            (iii) PBNDS 2011.
            (iv) NDS 2019.
            (v) Family Residential Standards 2020.
            (vi) Temporary Housing Standards.
            (D) A description of any formal or informal 
 complaints registered by individuals detained at such 
 facility regarding detention conditions, access to 
 counsel, or treatment.
        (E) An assessment of ecological risks resulting 
 from the construction and operation of such facility, 
 as well as the risks for detained individuals, 
 officers, and staff at such facility as a result of 
 flooding, hurricanes, or other natural disasters.

    (2) Briefings.--The Inspector General of the Department of 
 Homeland Security shall provide to the appropriate 
 congressional committees briefings on the contents of the 
 report required under paragraph

    (1) .
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
 ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
        (A) In the House of Representatives, the following:
            (i) The Committee on Homeland Security.
            (ii) The Committee on the Judiciary.
            (iii) The Committee on Appropriations.
        (B) In the Senate, the following:
            (i) The Committee on Homeland Security and 
 Governmental Affairs.
            (ii) The Committee on the Judiciary.
            (iii) The Committee on Appropriations.

    (2) Designated congressional staff.--The term ``designated 
 congressional staff'' means any employee employed by the 
 official office of a Member of Congress, or employed by an 
 official Committee of the House of Representatives or the 
 Senate.

    (3) Everglades ecosystem.--The term ``Everglades 
 ecosystem'' means the hydrologically connected wetland areas of 
 southern Florida, including Big Cypress National Preserve, 
 Everglades National Park, Water Conservation Areas, and 
 adjacent wetlands.

    (4) Facility.--The term ``facility'' means any building, 
 site, or structure at which individuals in Department of 
 Homeland Security custody are housed or detained.
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