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119th CongressH. R. 10401

Introduced in House

No ICE Deaths in the Dark Act of 2026

SEC. 1. SHORT TITLETrack this section →

This Act may be cited as the No ICE Deaths in the Dark Act of 2026.

SEC. 2. NOTIFICATION, REVIEW, REPORTING, AND PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS FOR COVERED DEATHS INVOLVING ICE CUSTODYTrack this section →

(a) In general Chapter 9 of title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1351 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 295. Notification, review, reporting, and preservation requirements for covered deaths involving ICE custody (a) Notification requirements (1) Next of kin Not later than 24 hours after a covered death, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall make reasonable efforts to notify the next of kin of the deceased individual. In the case that the next of kin has not been notified in 24 hours, the Director shall continue to make reasonable efforts to notify until such notification is made. (2) Consulate Not later than 24 hours after a covered death, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall make reasonable efforts to notify the appropriate consulate, where applicable. (3) Inspector general Not later than 24 hours after a covered death, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall notify the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security. (4) Congressional notice Not later than 24 hours after a covered death, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall notify the appropriate congressional committees, including a description of the notifications made pursuant to paragraphs (1) through (3). If any notification required under paragraphs (1) through (3) has not been made at the time such notice is provided to the appropriate congressional committees, the notice shall identify the notification that has not been made and describe the status of that notification. (b) Interim public notice (1) In general Not later than 48 hours after a covered death, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall publish an interim notice of the covered death on the internet website of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2) Contents The interim notice required under paragraph (1) shall be limited to objective information about the known facts and circumstances surrounding the covered death. (3) Notification efforts The Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall make reasonable efforts to notify the next of kin and appropriate consulate in accordance with subsection (a) before posting an interim notice under paragraph (1). In the case that such notification has not been made, completion of such notification shall not be a precondition to publishing the notice under paragraph (1). (4) Notice to congress Before or contemporaneously with posting an interim notice under this subsection, the Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall provide such notice to the appropriate congressional committees. (c) Detainee death report (1) In general Not later than 30 days after a covered death, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall complete and post on the internet website of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a detainee death report for such covered death. (2) Contents Subject to subsection (i), the detainee death report required under paragraph (1) shall include, to the extent known— (A) the name of the deceased individual; (B) the date of death; (C) the location of the individual at the time of death; (D) the facility or facilities where the individual was held, if applicable; (E) the cause or suspected cause of death; (F) relevant medical history or known medical conditions; (G) the circumstances surrounding the death; and (H) whether the death occurred while the individual was in ICE custody or within 30 days after release from ICE custody. (3) Notice to congress Before or contemporaneously with posting a detainee death report under this subsection, the Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall submit the report to the appropriate congressional committees. (d) Public-Facing information The Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall maintain, on the public-facing website of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the interim public notice under subsection (b) and the detainee death report under subsection (c) in a publicly accessible, downloadable, searchable, and sortable format. (e) Medical mortality review (1) In general Not later than 60 days after a covered death, the Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall complete a medical mortality review for such covered death. (2) Contents A medical mortality review under this subsection shall evaluate the deceased individual’s medical history and clinical care while in ICE custody to determine— (A) the cause of death; (B) whether changes to policies, procedures, or practices are warranted; (C) whether follow-up actions are needed; (D) whether any issues require further study; and (E) whether any act, omission, failure to comply with applicable standards, policy failure, or other error caused or materially contributed to the individual’s death. (3) Suicide In the event of suicide, the medical mortality review may include a psychological autopsy. (4) Outside records The Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may use available outside records if autopsy, toxicology, or other outside records are available. (f) Detention death review (1) In general Not later than 180 days after a covered death, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall complete a detention death review for such covered death. (2) Contents A detention death review under this subsection shall include an objective examination of the facts and circumstances surrounding the individual’s detention, release if applicable, and death, including— (A) whether the individual received care and treatment consistent with applicable detention standards related to health, safety, and security; and (B) whether any act, omission, failure to comply with applicable standards, policy failure, or other error caused or materially contributed to the individual’s death. (3) Corrective actions A detention death review under this subsection shall identify any corrective actions, policy changes, training needs, or further investigation that may be warranted. (4) Delayed completion If the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot complete a detention death review within the 180-day period described in paragraph (1), the Director shall provide a written status update to the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security and the appropriate congressional committees every 30 days until the review is completed. (5) Report The Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security the completed review under this subsection. (g) Preservation Upon learning of a covered death, the Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall preserve all records and evidence related to the covered death, including medical records, detention records, incident reports, video footage, investigative materials, and other relevant materials. (h) Quarterly reports to congress (1) In general Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on all covered deaths during such quarter and any covered deaths from previous quarters for which review under subsections (e) or (f) has been completed or is in progress. (2) Contents Each report required under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) the number of covered deaths; (B) whether each covered death occurred while the individual was in ICE custody or within 30 days after release from ICE custody; (C) the status of any interim public notice required under subsection (b); (D) the status of any detainee death report required under subsection (c); (E) the status of any medical mortality review required under subsection (e); (F) the status of any detention death review required under subsection (f); (G) findings from completed reviews, to the extent appropriate for disclosure; and (H) any corrective actions recommended or implemented, to the extent appropriate for disclosure. (i) Privacy and protection of sensitive information (1) In general Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the public disclosure of information prohibited from disclosure by Federal law. (2) Public redactions For any information made publicly available under this section, the Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may withhold or redact information only to the extent necessary to protect sensitive medical, privacy, law enforcement, national security, or next-of-kin information. (3) Congressional access Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize withholding information from the appropriate congressional committees, except to the extent disclosure is prohibited by Federal law. (4) No categorical exemption A covered death shall not be exempt from the requirements of this section solely because the death involved suicide, suspected suicide, or other sensitive circumstances. (j) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and (C) the Committees on Judiciary of the House of Representatives and Senate. (2) Covered death The term covered death means-— (A) the death of an individual while in ICE custody; or (B) the death of an individual within 30 days after release from ICE custody, if the death could reasonably be considered related to the individual’s detention, medical care, treatment, conditions of confinement, transport, the release process, or any other circumstance connected to ICE custody. (3) ICE The term ICE means U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (4) ICE custody The term ICE custody means that an individual is in the custody of the Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or by an entity acting on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for purposes of immigration detention, including custody in— (A) an immigration detention facility; (B) a contracted, privately operated, State, or local detention facility used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; (C) a medical facility, holding room, or transport vehicle used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; or (D) any other location where an individual is held while being transferred between facilities or locations. (k) Applicability The requirements of this section shall apply to any covered death occurring after the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section.. (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents of the Immigration and Nationality Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 294 the following: Sec. 295. Notification, review, reporting, and preservation requirements for covered deaths involving ICE custody..

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITYTrack this section →

The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

•HR 10401 IHText from GovInfo