To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from preventing Members of Congress, or employees accompanying a Member, from entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · August 17, 2026
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Oversight Access Act prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security from blocking Members of Congress or their staff from visiting immigration detention facilities for oversight purposes. The bill prevents the department from requiring advance notice before such visits and bars making temporary changes to facilities that could hide conditions from congressional visitors. The legislation is aimed at ensuring Congress can directly inspect how the Department of Homeland Security operates detention centers that house immigrants. The bill includes a requirement that the Homeland Security Inspector General report to Congress within 30 days if the Secretary violates these access provisions. No specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are included in the legislation.
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