Crow, Bennet, Colorado Democratic Delegation Propose DHS Reforms

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow, Senator Michael Bennet, and members of Colorado’s Democratic delegation introduced a slate of new legislation to reform the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after recent abuses and the murder of American citizens by immigration officials.

The three bills would protect children from unnecessary detainment; ban immigration arrests at hospitals and schools; increase accountability and transparency from federal immigration officers; institute notification requirements for an individual’s detention and/or transfer; and uphold Congress’ right to unannounced oversight visits of federal immigration facilities.

“Donald Trump said he’d go after the ‘worst of the worst’ criminals. Instead, he’s rounding up kids, detaining and murdering Americans in our streets, and terrorizing our communities,” said Congressman Crow. “Republicans just gave ICE a massive budget increase without pushing for any reforms to the abuses we have seen. It’s wrong and we must rein in the abusive practices of this rogue agency. I appreciate Senator Bennet’s leadership to stand up to President Trump and hold this administration accountable.”

“President Trump has unleashed his federal immigration forces on our communities with no accountability and no regard for the rule of law. This week, Senate Republicans prepare to force a vote to pump billions more into ICE. We must prioritize common sense reforms, setting clear standards and meaningful accountability,” said Senator Bennet. “These bills focus on areas where Coloradans saw gaps in oversight and opportunities to build more protections, especially for children and families caught up in enforcement actions. The proposals are an important start grounded in transparency, accountability, and basic law-enforcement standards. Far more change is needed for comprehensive reform. I’ll keep fighting alongside Coloradans to make sure families and communities are treated with dignity and protected under the law.”

Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen, and Congressman Joe Neguse joined Crow and Bennet in introducing the legislation. 

"Donald Trump's cruel immigration agenda has been defined by fear and a disregard for basic human dignity,” said Congresswoman DeGette. “No child should be detained, no family should be afraid to seek care at a hospital or attend school, and no law enforcement officer should be allowed to operate without transparency and accountability. I’m proud to work with my colleagues to introduce these bills that will restore humanity, oversight, and the rule of law to an immigration system that has been pushed beyond the bounds of decency."

“Donald Trump’s ICE operations are out of control — he promised to go after the ‘worst of the worst,’ but instead ICE is detaining children, deporting U.S. citizens and people who are here legally, and operating with virtually no oversight or accountability,” said Congresswoman Pettersen. “As Republicans move to pour billions more taxpayer dollars into this lawless agency, we need comprehensive reform that the majority of the American people support. I’m grateful to work with Congressman Joe Neguse to introduce these bills to increase transparency, strengthen accountability, protect due process, and begin restoring trust.”

“Over the course of the last year and a half, the Trump administration’s cruel and inhumane immigration policies have inflicted a heavy toll on the people of Colorado. Enough is enough,” said Congressman Neguse. “I’m proud to join Senator Michael Bennet in introducing legislation that stands up for transparency and accountability, makes clear that oversight is not optional, and underscores that no president can bend the rule of law to their will. These proposals are a starting point toward real, meaningful reform—protecting children and sensitive locations, holding federal immigration officers accountable, and ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”

The three bills include the Keeping Immigrants and Destinations Safe (KIDS) Act; the Training, Responsibility, Uniforms, and Standards for Transparency (TRUST) Act; and the Oversight, Protection, and Enforcement Notification (OPEN) Act.

The KIDS Act would:

• Prohibit DHS from detaining children, individuals with cognitive disabilities, or their primary caregivers.
• Ban immigration arrests at schools, hospitals, places of worship, courthouses, and other sensitive locations, unless officers have a court-issued criminal warrant.
• Clarify that these protections also apply when individuals are traveling to, attending, or returning from sensitive locations.

The TRUST Act would:

• Require immigration enforcement officers to wear standardized DHS uniforms and clearly display badges and identification during enforcement operations.
• Prohibit officers from wearing masks during immigration enforcement operations.
• Establish stronger hiring standards, including comprehensive background investigations, screening for affiliations with terrorist, violent, or hate-based organizations, and psychological evaluations.
• Require officers to complete specialized training on wrongful detention prevention, de-escalation strategies, language access, medical and disability recognition, and civil rights protections.
• Mandate officers to use body-worn cameras during enforcement actions, establish consequences for failing to activate or tampering with recordings, and require public release of footage following serious incidents, subject to privacy protections.

The OPEN Act would:

• Guarantee Members of Congress unrestricted access to all immigration detention facilities without prior approval.
• Ensure detained individuals are able to notify family members following their detention and access legal counsel. 
• Require notification to family and legal representatives immediately when individuals are transferred to another detention facility or hospital.
• Require DHS to publicly report allegations and incidents of excessive force, wrongful detention, mistaken arrests, the detention of U.S. citizens, and sexual assault.
• Establish requirements for independent inspections by and transparency to appropriate federal and state officials before converting warehouses, jails, or other facilities into immigration detention centers.
• Require judicial warrants for immigration enforcement.

Since his election to Congress, Crow has fought to promote transparency, oversight, and accountability in federal immigration detention centers. He introduced bipartisan legislation guaranteeing Members of Congress the right to conduct unannounced, in-person oversight visits of ICE detention facilities, including to check on any concerns related to public health and the humane treatment of detained individuals. Crow regularly conducts oversight of Aurora’s immigration detention facility. Since 2019, he has visited the facility to conduct oversight ten times. Crow’s staff have also visited the facility more than 80 times to conduct oversight. Public reports of such visits, along with conditions at the facility, are published on Crow’s website.

“Voces Unidas is committed to advancing immigrant rights, and we are proud to work with Senator Bennet in support of legislation that will benefit immigrant families in rural communities of Colorado,” said Alex Sánchez, President and CEO of Voces Unidas de las Montañas and Voces Unidas Action Fund. “The Keeping Immigrants and Destinations Safe (KIDS) Act, the Oversight, Protection, and Enforcement Notification (OPEN) Act, and the Training, Responsibility, Uniforms, and Standards for Transparency (TRUST) Act represent a critical effort to protect immigrants in sensitive locations, strengthen oversight of detention facilities, and increase accountability and transparency of ICE agents. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Senator Bennet to see these important legislative initiatives passed.”

“At Adelante Community Development, we work every day alongside immigrant entrepreneurs and families who are the backbone of our community. Fear should never be a barrier to education, healthcare, or opportunity. The KIDS Act, OPEN Act, and TRUST Act represent the kind of commonsense protections our community has been asking for — keeping children with their families, bringing accountability to detention, and ensuring enforcement is conducted with transparency and dignity,” said María González, Founder & CEO, Adelante Community Development. “We are proud to stand with Senator Bennet in support of this legislation and grateful that the voices of our community were heard in its drafting.”

“In rural communities like Southwest Colorado, we know how important it is for families to feel safe accessing schools, hospitals, places of worship, and other essential community spaces without fear,” said Enrique Orozco-Perez, Executive Director, Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center. “The KIDS, OPEN, and TRUST Acts reflect values that many of our communities share: transparency, accountability, public safety, and keeping families together. These proposals help create clearer standards and oversight while supporting the dignity and wellbeing of immigrant families who are deeply woven into the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our region. We appreciate the continued efforts to listen to impacted communities across Colorado and elevate policies that strengthen trust and community safety for everyone.”

“Sunrise Community Health is grateful to Senator Bennet and his team for engaging with community organizations to better understand the challenges impacting immigrants and their families across the United States. Sunrise’s mission is to provide affordable access to quality care for all; our vision is people can access the right care, at the right time, for the right cost,” said Mitzi Moran, CEO, Sunrise Community Health Center. “We thank Senator Bennet for the opportunity to be part of ongoing conversations focused on practical, community-centered solutions that strengthen public health and support safe, healthy communities for everyone.”

“Immigrant families in Colorado and across the country deserve to feel safe in their homes, their schools, their churches, and their doctors’ offices. Senator Bennet’s legislation sets a clear standard: enforcement must be transparent, accountable, and humane,” said the members of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC). “CIRC stands with the communities that shared their stories to make these bills possible, and we urge Congress to pass them without delay.” 

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