H.R. 7297 would allow people to sue the federal government for damages if their constitutional rights are violated by officers or agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The bill specifically addresses claims involving violations of due process, racial profiling, unlawful searches and seizures, and infringements on privacy and free speech rights. Under this legislation, victims could recover monetary damages without needing to prove that the violation resulted from an official departmental policy, and plaintiffs would be allowed to seek punitive damages in addition to other remedies. The bill would fund these settlements using appropriations designated under a specific budget law (Public Law 119-21) and, if those funds are depleted, other available government funds. This legislation would essentially make it easier for individuals to hold ICE and CBP accountable in court for constitutional violations.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.