On August 13, 2026, Representatives Ritchie Torres and George Latimer introduced a bill in Newark, New Jersey, that would compel U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide family members with notice when a detainee under its custody experiences a death, hospitalization, or medical emergency.
The legislation specifies that ICE must issue a notification to the next of kin or designated family contact in each of those three circumstances, creating a formal requirement for the agency to communicate health‑related incidents that previously may have been reported informally or not at all.
The proposal follows a recent visit by the two lawmakers to the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, where they observed gaps in the flow of information to families of individuals held by ICE. Their observations at the site informed the drafting of the bill.
By establishing a mandatory reporting process, the bill seeks to ensure that families receive timely and accurate information about the well‑being of loved ones in ICE custody. The measure is presented as a step toward greater transparency in the agency’s handling of detainee health matters.
ICE, as the federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement and detention, would be required to adjust its internal procedures to meet the notification standards outlined in the legislation. The agency’s current policies on family communication were not detailed in the proposal.
The legislation will now proceed to the next stage of consideration by the relevant legislative committees. Supporters anticipate that the bill could set a precedent for how federal detention facilities manage family notifications, though its ultimate adoption remains uncertain.