FIRST Act
Latest action · May 7, 2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 7, 2020
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Federal Immigrant Release for Safety and security Together Act or the FIRST Act
This bill imposes requirements during a communicable disease-related national emergency, such as requiring the release of certain aliens in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Covered aliens, specifically those who have certain health conditions, are at least 50 years old, or are 21 years of age or younger, shall be released from ICE custody without bond during such a national emergency, unless the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the alien is likely to pose a substantial and specific risk of harming another.
DHS shall review the files of any detained individual who is not a covered alien, and such an individual shall be released unless (1) alternatives to detention would not reasonably ensure the individual's appearance at removal proceedings; (2) the individual is likely to pose a substantial and specific risk of harming another; or (3) a final removal order has been entered, appeals have been exhausted, and removal of the alien is reasonably foreseeable.
ICE shall not redetain aliens released under this bill solely due to the expiration of the national emergency.
During such a national emergency, ICE shall suspend (1) requiring individuals under supervision to report in person; (2) immigration enforcement actions; and (3) warrantless enforcement in certain locations, such as an essential business during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. ICE shall also provide to detained individuals (1) access to no-cost telephonic or video communication, including unmonitored communications with legal providers; and (2) hygiene products.
Cosponsors 6
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on May 7, 2020.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | May 7, 2020 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | May 7, 2020 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | May 7, 2020 |
| D-CA | Kamala D. Harris | Original | May 7, 2020 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | May 7, 2020 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Original | May 7, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 7, 2020Introduced in Senate
- May 7, 2020Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 6537 | FIRST Act | Identical bill | Apr 17, 2020 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Administrative remedies
- Border security and unlawful immigration
- Congressional oversight
- Cosmetics and personal care
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Department of Homeland Security
- Detention of persons
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Health technology, devices, supplies
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Telephone and wireless communication
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 7, 2020Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.