The Restoring Access for Detainees Act would provide free phone and communication services to people held in immigration detention by the Department of Homeland Security. The bill requires detainees to receive at least one 10-minute call to family within their first five hours in custody and at each new detention location, plus 200 free minutes per month for ongoing family contact. Detainees would also get unlimited free communication with their lawyers, courts, immigration judges, and government oversight officials. The legislation, introduced in November 2025, aims to restore a program that provided 520 free minutes monthly during the COVID-19 pandemic but was halted in 2024 due to lack of funding. The bill specifies that communications with legal counsel and investigators must be confidential and unmonitored, and directs the Department of Homeland Security to establish consistent protocols ensuring detainees can access these communication services without intimidation or retaliation.
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