# Summary
The Homeland Security Improvement Act creates new oversight mechanisms and accountability measures for border enforcement operations. The bill establishes an independent 30-member Border Oversight Commission with separate northern and southern border subcommittees to review border policies, evaluate civil rights protections, and recommend improvements. It also creates an Ombudsman for Border and Immigration-Related Concerns to investigate complaints about border agency activities, conduct facility inspections, and establish a standardized complaint process with online filing options and a detainee locator system.
The legislation requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to receive at least 19-23 weeks of initial training and 8 hours of annual continuing education covering topics like community relations, use of force, vulnerable populations, and professional conduct. It mandates collection and public reporting of border enforcement data including stop details, demographics, and searches, while protecting complainants from retaliation. The bill also addresses family separation by prohibiting agents from separating children from parents solely for deterrence purposes, with limited exceptions for child welfare situations and a $10,000 penalty per violation.
Additionally, the act requires multiple government reports assessing port of entry management, migrant deaths, use of force policies, body-worn camera programs, and border enforcement impacts on civil rights. It directs the Government Accountability Office to review various border operations and study the feasibility of creating an independent immigration court system outside the executive branch.
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