Bill in House calls for public input on new immigration detention centers

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas has proposed a bill in the U.S. House that would increase transparency and require local engagement in decisions about new federal immigration detention sites, as reported by the U.S. Congress.

H.R.7652 was submitted on Feb. 23, 2026, during the 119th Congress’s regular session. The following summary, based on the bill’s official text, includes clarifications to better interpret its details.

The bill stipulates that the Department of Homeland Security cannot build, acquire, renovate, or run any new immigration processing sites or detention centers without first requesting public input, involving local officials, and giving Congress prior notice. The legislation spells out a process where the relevant federal agency must publish a public notice in the Federal Register, invite comments for at least 30 days, and detail the construction plans and adherence to federal and environmental laws. The agency is also directed to consider important public responses, finalize a signed agreement with state and local officials, and submit a report to various congressional committees before moving forward. The measure is designed to boost community participation and accountability in federal detention facility decisions.

Rep. Chris Pappas (Democrat-NH-1st District) introduced the bill, with co-sponsorship from Rep. Maggie Goodlander (Democrat-NH-2nd District).

Rep. Pappas has put forward 36 other bills since the current session began.

A Senate companion, S.3894, was introduced on Feb. 23, 2026, as well. Congressional records identify it as the Senate’s identical counterpart to H.R.7652.

Congressional bills may originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, apart from revenue bills, which must start in the House. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee for review, hearings, revisions, and debate before advancing to a vote in both chambers. Identical bills passed by both the House and Senate are sent to the president to be approved or vetoed. Each Congress lasts two years and contains two annual sessions, with official records archived by Congress.gov.

Chris Pappas is a New Hampshire representative who was born in Manchester on June 4, 1980. He earned his degree from Harvard University in 2002 and served in several political roles, including as a New Hampshire State House of Representatives member from 2003 to 2007, Hillsborough County treasurer from 2007 to 2011, and on the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2013 to 2019. He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2019.

Details in this article were sourced from the U.S. Congress. Find the official source data here.