A bill to establish an independent commission within the legislative branch responsible for ensuring oversight, transparency, and accountability in immigration enforcement operations.

Sponsor: Christopher A. Coons (Democratic-DE)February 12, 2026

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Creates an independent commission to oversee federal immigration enforcement agencies

A new, independent commission would watch over federal immigration agencies like ICE and Border Protection. This commission would make sure these agencies follow civil rights and other rules. It would also let the public report concerns and see enforcement information, and could investigate violations and ask a court to fine agencies that break the rules.

What Would Change

Currently, oversight of federal immigration enforcement primarily comes from internal agency mechanisms and existing government watchdog offices. This bill would create a powerful, independent commission outside the executive branch with direct monitoring, investigative, and enforcement powers. It would also provide new avenues for public complaints and transparency that do not currently exist.

Key Provisions

Creates an independent Commission for Independent Monitoring of Immigration Enforcement to oversee federal immigration agencies.
Requires immigration agencies to allow the commission to monitor operations, including through unannounced visits and access to records and personnel.
Lets the public submit complaints about immigration enforcement activities and view anonymized complaint information and enforcement data on a public website.
Allows the commission to investigate serious violations, refer potential criminal conduct to prosecutors, and hold public hearings.
Allows the commission to bring a civil lawsuit against immigration agencies, where a court could order penalties of $500,000 per day for serious or willful violations.

View on Congress.gov

S 3891 · 119th Congress · February 12, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 10/10

A bill to establish an independent commission within the legislative branch responsible for ensuring oversight, transparency, and accountability in immigration enforcement operations.

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity