Bill > S3146

This bill aims to restore and establish a comprehensive communication program for individuals in civil immigration detention, ensuring they have access to free telephone and other communication services. The legislation mandates that detainees receive at least 200 free outgoing communication minutes per month, with additional free minutes for legal and official communications. During the first 5 hours of detention and when transferred to a new location, detainees must be allowed to contact immediate family members and legal counsel. The bill requires detention facilities to establish consistent, publicly available policies for communication access, with specific restrictions to prevent limiting legal communications or monitoring certain confidential calls without a court-issued warrant. The legislation emerged from a recognition that previous free communication programs (initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic) were discontinued, and seeks to leverage recent funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reinstate these critical communication rights. The bill defines key terms like "communication" and "custody" broadly, covering various forms of electronic interaction and including both legal and physical detention scenarios, and explicitly protects detainees from being dissuaded or retaliated against for using these communication services.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3146/all-info