To impose a hiring freeze on United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and for other purposes.

Bill Number

H.R. 7392

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Immigration

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-02-06: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.

Last Updated

2026-05-16T08:07:51Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This bill, H.R. 7392, aims to temporarily halt the growth of the workforce at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws, by prohibiting the use of federal funds for new hires or employee transfers into the agency.

Key Provisions

• Hiring Freeze: Starting on the date the bill becomes law, no federal funds can be used to:
• Appoint (hire) any new individual to a position within ICE.
• Detail (temporarily assign) or transfer any federal employee to ICE.
• Duration and Repeal: The freeze ends on the day after Congress passes and enacts a new law that specifically references and overrides, supersedes, or modifies this provision.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The bill overrides any conflicting laws by directly restricting federal funding for ICE hiring and transfers, effectively creating a temporary barrier to expanding the agency's personnel without needing broader budget changes.
• It introduces a mechanism for quick reversal through targeted congressional action, rather than relying on general appropriations processes.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: ICE's ability to address staffing shortages or increase enforcement capacity would be limited, potentially straining existing resources for tasks like border security, deportations, and investigations into immigration violations.
• On Citizens: U.S. citizens involved in immigration-related legal processes (e.g., as witnesses or victims of related crimes) might experience delays in ICE services, while communities with high immigrant populations could see reduced enforcement activity.
• On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though reduced ICE capacity could indirectly affect U.S. credibility in immigration enforcement collaborations with other countries.
• Overall, the freeze could lead to operational slowdowns at ICE without affecting current employees or ongoing funding for salaries and operations.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• ICE and Federal Employees: The agency itself and its current workforce, as growth is paused; other federal employees eligible for transfer to ICE are also restricted.
• Immigrants and Advocacy Groups: Undocumented immigrants or those in removal proceedings may face less aggressive enforcement; immigrant rights organizations could view this as protective.
• Lawmakers and Oversight Bodies: Congress gains a tool to control ICE indirectly; the House Committee on Homeland Security, to which the bill was referred, would oversee implementation.
• Broader Public: Taxpayers, as federal funds are redirected from hiring; local law enforcement partners who collaborate with ICE on immigration matters.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Relies on Congress's constitutional authority over federal spending (the "power of the purse") to impose restrictions via funding prohibitions, which courts have generally upheld as a valid way to influence agency actions without violating separation of powers.
• Constitutional: No direct challenges anticipated, as it does not infringe on executive branch operations but uses legislative budgeting tools; however, it could prompt debates on whether such targeted freezes unduly hamper national security functions.
• Political: Introduced by a bipartisan group of House members, it reflects partisan divides on immigration policy—potentially as a compromise to limit ICE expansion amid debates on border control and humanitarian concerns—without pursuing full defunding, making it a reversible political statement.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7]

Cosponsors (23)

Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16], Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4], Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35], Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9], Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35], Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6], Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1], Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33], Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]

Recent Actions

• 2026-02-06: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
• 2026-02-06: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
• 2026-02-05: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
• 2026-02-05: Introduced in House
• 2026-02-05: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• To impose a hiring freeze on United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and for other purposes. — issued 2026-02-05 — PDF (2 pages)