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Dem-backed ‘dignity’ bill could strip ICE of detention powers, erase immigration enforcement, critics warn
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After more than 120 House Democrats signed onto a bill from a top progressive lawmaker to seek what they define as «dignity» for federal immigration detainees, critics sounded the alarm that the legislation could forever transform how illegal immigrants are treated in the U.S.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., is spearheading the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, along with fellow Evergreen State lawmaker Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee — which they say will curb the «shocking surge» of allegedly wrongful detentions and inappropriate conditions, particularly at jails run by private companies under government contract.
Critics vociferously objected to the connotation, in exclusive comments to Fox News Digital Friday.
«This legislation isn’t aimed at improving conditions for migrants navigating the U.S. immigration system — it would instead end the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration law entirely,» warned members of the Day 1 Alliance, the main trade association representing longtime federal and state contractors in the criminal justice and immigration spaces.
ICE SIT-IN ‘PHOTO OP’ BY MARYLAND DEMS BLASTED BY DHS CHIEF NOEM
Critics sounded the alarm that new Dem legislation would forever transform how illegal immigrants are treated in the U.S. (Michael Nigro/Getty Images)
Day 1 Alliance members said that for more than three decades, both Republican and Democratic congresses and administrations have respected the «limited yet valued» role their members play in working toward a better immigration enforcement system.
The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act would lead to the repeal of mandatory detention for those captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a summary posted by Jayapal, and create a presumption of release, imposing a higher burden of proof to detain primary caregivers and «vulnerable populations.»
It also would phase out the use of private detention facilities by about 2029, like the ones Day 1 Alliance members may work in or with.
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In apparent response to Democrats being iced out of ICE centers earlier in 2025 — including a case in Newark, New Jersey, where Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was accused of accosting officers, it also would mandate that the Department of Homeland Security admit members of Congress to detention facilities for unannounced inspections.
Another case in Baltimore involved that city’s congressman, Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, joining others downtown to protest to the press about not being allowed full access to the Charm City’s Department of Homeland Security installation.
«Contractors operate under strict federal oversight and standards set by the U.S. Congress,» Day 1 Alliance members told Fox News Digital regarding the implications about the proposed changes.
SENATE DEM DICK DURBIN ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF ‘TERRORIZING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES’
ICE deaths while in custody are at a rate of less than 1%, which is lower than any previous administration’s record, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
«They do not make arrests, do not decide the length of detention, and play no role in determining the legal status of individuals in their care.»
The members said contractors work to provide humane housing, proper meals and quality medical care for all in their ward.
Meanwhile, Jayapal said Thursday that the Trump administration has caused a «shocking surge in the detention of people who have committed no crimes.»
«As Trump has struck down legal pathways and made it nearly impossible to come to or stay in this country, even for those who have been here for decades, this will only continue to get worse,» Jayapal said. «We must pass this legislation to protect dignity and civil rights in America.»
Smith added that the U.S. is witnessing «appalling conditions» and a «clear disregard for basic human rights» of detainees.
«No one should be subjected to overcrowded cells, denied medical care, or held in facilities that profit off of human suffering,» he said, echoing his Seattle neighbor in saying the bill would provide proper oversight.
DHS SAYS FOUR HOUSE DEMOCRATS ‘CHOSE TO STAND WITH CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS’ AFTER VISITING ICE DETAINEE
Homeland Security officials torched the new bill later Friday, as Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that Jayapal’s claims of overcrowding, mistreatment and wrongful detention are «false.»
«ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,» she said.
«It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody,» she continued. «This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many aliens have received in their entire lives. Meals are certified by» dietitians.
McLaughlin added that ICE deaths in custody are at a rate of less than 1%, which is lower than any previous administration’s record.
She praised House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., «big, beautiful bill» as the facilitator of ICE improving detention conditions since President Donald Trump took office.
«Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE,» she said
A release from Jayapal’s office cited a figure of 66,000 people detained since Trump took office, and claimed nearly three-quarters did not have any criminal convictions — an assertion immigration officials have themselves rejected.
There were 123 listed Democratic co-sponsors, including several lawmakers representing areas where ICE and USBP have pinpointed for mass enforcement activities.
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Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte, Troy Carter of New Orleans, Steve Cohen of Memphis, Tennessee, Jesus Garcia of Chicago, Robin Kelly of Chicago, Bennie Thompson of Jackson, Mississippi, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Ted Lieu of Los Angeles, all are among the bill’s hundred-plus signatories.
Fox News Digital reached out to Jayapal, Smith and the Department of Homeland Security, for additional comment on the pushback.
immigration,illegal immigrants,democrats,washington,homeland security,donald trump
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Spain permanently pulled its ambassador to Israel on Tuesday over its opposition to the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, ratcheting up an already tense diplomatic rift between the two countries.
The Spanish government formally terminated the ambassador’s post in its official gazette and said its embassy in Tel Aviv will now be led by a chargé d’affaires indefinitely.
Madrid had recalled its ambassador last September after Israel condemned Spain’s decision to block aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel from using Spanish ports or airspace. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the move antisemitic at the time.
When a reporter on Wednesday asked whether Spain, in general, was cooperating with the U.S., President Donald Trump replied, «No, they’re not. I think they’re not cooperating at all.»
WORLD LEADERS SPLIT OVER MILITARY ACTION AS US-ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN IN COORDINATED OPERATION
People walk past damaged buildings following a strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
«Spain, I think they’ve been very bad,» the president said. «Very bad. Not good at all. We may cut off trade with Spain.»
«I don’t know what Spain is doing,» Trump continued. «They’ve been very bad to NATO. They get protected, they don’t want to pay their fair share. And they’ve been that way for many years.»
Trump added that the people of Spain «are fantastic,» whereas the leadership is «not so good.»
TRUMP PRESSES NATO PARTNERS ON SUPPORT AS HEGSETH BLASTS HESITATION
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Wednesday criticized Spain’s decision to recall its ambassador to Israel permanently as «hard for me to absorb.»
«Spain is a member of NATO, and the United States and Israel are in joint operations against the Iranian regime who openly calls for the destruction of the Jewish State, attacks against the West, and seeks to purify Islam in its own image,» Graham wrote on X.
Spain recalled its ambassador to Israel, the latest flare-up in the rocky diplomatic relationship between the two countries in recent years. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
«The religious Nazi regime in Iran is the problem, not the Jewish State,» the senator continued. «I hope Spain’s actions will not encourage the tyrannical, fanatical regime in Iran — that abuses its own people — to hang on.»
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Relations between Spain and Israel have deteriorated sharply since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks.
Israel also downgraded its diplomatic presence in Spain last May after Spain recognized a Palestinian state, placing its own embassy in Madrid under a chargé d’affaires.
world politics,spain,israel,iran,world
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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is introducing a new bill to strip FDA approval from the popular abortion pill mifepristone. The new bill builds upon proposed legislation Hawley introduced last year that would ban mifepristone and allow women to sue manufacturers profiting off of what the lawmaker deems an «inherently dangerous» drug.
The Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act was introduced in the Senate Tuesday and would prohibit the use of mifepristone for ending pregnancies.
«The science is clear: The chemical abortion drug is inherently dangerous to women and prone to abuse. Yet major companies like Danco Laboratories are making billions off it,» Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement. «That’s why I am introducing new legislation to ban the use of mifepristone for abortion and empower women to sue its manufacturers. Congress must act now to protect the health and safety of women.»
If passed, the legislation would withdraw FDA approval for the drug and classify its distribution for abortion as a violation of federal law. In 2023, mifepristone was used in 63% of all abortions in the U.S., according to data from the Guttmacher Institute.
PRO-LIFE ORGANIZATION CALLS ON HHS AND FDA TO SUSPEND ABORTION PILL APPROVAL, TIGHTEN SAFETY RULES
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced new legislation Tuesday that would ban the abortion pill mifepristone nationwide, calling it an «inherently dangerous» drug and seeking to revoke its FDA approval. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research organization formerly affiliated with Planned Parenthood, also estimates there were 1,038,100 clinician-provided abortions in 2024. However, that figure accounts only for states without abortion bans and does not include abortions performed outside the formal healthcare system or in states where abortion laws differ.
Hawley raised concerns about the abortion pill last May when he introduced a separate bill that would direct the FDA to create safeguards on mifepristone, allowing women who suffered complications the right to sue telehealth providers and pharmacies for damages.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., cited research from the Ethics and Public Policy Center claiming higher rates of complications from mifepristone than listed on the FDA-approved label. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)
Research by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in Washington, D.C., showed the rate of side effects when using mifepristone is 22 times higher than indications from the FDA-approved drug label.
PRO-LIFE GROUP URGES SENATE TO PRESS RFK JR. ON ABORTION PILL SAFETY, DEMAND SAFEGUARDS RETURN
The study revealed more than 1 in 10 women have reported experiencing «infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event.»
EPPC assessed 865,727 insurance claims between 2017 and 2023 for women who used the medication to terminate early pregnancy. The pill can be taken up to «70 days since the first day of their last menstrual period,» according to the FDA.
During the Biden administration, the FDA revised rules allowing mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth, meaning patients would not have to physically go to the doctor to receive the abortion drug.
SOUTH CAROLINA GOP LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE BILL TO CRIMINALIZE ABORTION AS MURDER
In 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected an Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine challenge that was brought to reverse the FDA’s approval and expansion for access to the drug. The ruling allowed mifepristone to remain available through telehealth and mail.
Hawley penned a letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary urging him to review the data and act against the abortion drug mifepristone. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The Supreme Court’s rejection was based on the group’s inability to bring a lawsuit, saying Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine lacked the legal standing to challenge FDA approval. The merits of the abortion drug were never discussed or questioned in the ruling.
Last May, Hawley sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, whom Hawley questioned during Makary’s Senate confirmation hearing last year.
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«[D]uring your confirmation hearing, you pledged to me that you would ‘review the totality of the data and ongoing data’ to inform action on the drug,» Hawley’s letter to the FDA chief states. «I urge you to follow this new data and take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone.
«The health and safety of American women depend on it.»
Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston
abortion,health,womens health,senate,drugs,congress,legislation
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