Protecting Sensitive Locations Act
Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced
Summary
Would bar most immigration enforcement within 1,000 feet of designated sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, places of worship, polling sites, and shelters. It creates narrow exceptions for exigent threats, requires supervisor confirmation when agents are unsure, and mandates training plus reporting requirements.
Show full summary
- Families, students, and patients: The bill presumes enforcement cannot occur within 1,000 feet of schools, child-care sites, hospitals, shelters, places of worship, and polling places. Exceptions are limited to clear exigent circumstances like imminent risk of death or violence.
- DHS officers and agents: Personnel must stop if uncertain about exigent circumstances, obtain real-time supervisor approval to continue, act discreetly, and limit time and targets. The bill requires annual training and directs DHS to issue implementing rules within 90 days.
- Legal and oversight effects: Evidence from actions that violate these rules can be excluded in removal proceedings and affected individuals may move to terminate their cases. DHS must provide detailed reports within 30 days after any sensitive-location action and submit annual reports to Congress and the DHS Inspector General.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New Homeland Security rules, training, and timing
If enacted, the bill would define which places count as sensitive locations and who must follow the rule. The Secretary would write rules within 90 days to name authorizing officials and define supervisors. The new protections would take effect 90 days after enactment. Certain Homeland Security leaders would have to ensure annual training for supervised employees about the new rule.
No immigration enforcement near public sites
If enacted, immigration officers would be barred from enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of many listed "sensitive locations." That includes schools, hospitals, clinics, places of worship, libraries, Social Security and unemployment offices, DMVs, polling places, courthouses, shelters, and legal aid offices. Agents would have to act quietly, limit time on site, and only target people with prior approval. Exceptions would be allowed only for clear emergencies.
Exceptions, oversight, and legal remedies
If enacted, officers would have to stop enforcement when an emergency ends and get real-time supervisor confirmation if unsure about an emergency. The bill keeps narrow exceptions for medical transport from a land or sea border and for rare preapproved national-security operations. DHS would have to report any covered enforcement to the DHS Inspector General and Civil Rights office within 30 days. Evidence from actions that broke the rule could not be used in removal cases, and affected people could ask to end those proceedings.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
John Hickenlooper
CO • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Raphael Warnock
GA • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 2/13/2025
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 2/13/2025
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 1/15/2026
Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 1/29/2026
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 2/5/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov