New Bill Would Grant U.S. Citizens $500,000 for Unlawful ICE Detentions
A congressional proposal would allow U.S. citizens illegally held by ICE to sue for at least $500,000 in damages.
Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico has filed the Justice for Citizens Wrongfully Detained by ICE Act, targeting unlawful arrests or detentions by immigration officers after Jan. 20, 2025. The legislation would let affected citizens sue the involved officer and the United States in federal court, guaranteeing a base award of $500,000 and an extra $100,000 for each day the person remains detained beyond the first day, along with attorney fees and possible injunctive relief.
It removes both absolute and qualified immunity defenses for immigration agents and expressly waives the federal government's sovereign immunity. Claims could be filed within five years of the incident and would be cumulative with any other compensation. The bill also rescinds unused immigration enforcement funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill. With only one co-sponsor, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, the proposal must clear the House Judiciary Committee and survive a Republican-led Congress, though upcoming midterms could shift the balance of power.
Why it matters
It could create a powerful legal remedy for citizens wrongly detained by immigration authorities.
In this story
