A second Indian American Impact–backed Democrat is advancing legislation that would weaken key elements of the nation’s immigration enforcement system.
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat representing Washington’s 7th district, introduced the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act on December 3. She was joined by U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington’s 9th district. The bill was framed as a response to what Jayapal described as “inhumane” and “horrifying” detention conditions that occurred during President Donald Trump’s administration.
Jayapal claimed in a press release that the use of immigration detention has reached “unprecedented levels,” asserting that “over 66,000 people” are currently detained and that “23 people have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody” since Trump returned to office.
The bill proposes to repeal mandatory detention and end family detention. It establishes a presumption of release for broad categories of migrants and raises the government’s burden of proof needed for detention to occur. Additionally, it aims to phase out the use of private detention facilities over a three-year period and mandates new civil detention standards, along with unannounced inspections by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General. Furthermore, it would require DHS to allow members of Congress to conduct unannounced inspections.
Jayapal said, “We must pass this legislation to protect dignity and civil rights in America.”
The bill stands in stark contrast to recent bipartisan legislation, including the Laken Riley Act (2025). “This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement,” the bill summary on the congressional webpage reads.
The Laken Riley Act was passed after the murder of a college student in Georgia at the hands of an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
Jayapal’s bill also contrasts with the signature legislative achievement of Trump’s second term in office thus far. In July, Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law, an act that appropriated billions for enhanced border security measures, interior immigration enforcement, and deportations, The Dallas Express reported.
The legislation arrives days after The Dallas Express reported that Indian American Impact, a political committee that has exclusively funded Democratic candidates, has played a role in backing lawmakers who push to loosen the immigration system, including visa expansions and opposition to restrictive federal measures. Jayapal has previously received support from the organization, according to campaign finance records cited in the same reporting.
According to that report, Indian American Impact’s donor network is heavily composed of individuals born outside the United States and connected to firms that rely on large numbers of H-1B visa workers. 72% of annual H-1B slots go to workers from India, and 12% to those from China, according to USCIS data.
The group has publicly advocated for easing immigration pathways for Indian nationals, including children of temporary visa holders who remain stuck in the long green-card backlog. It also opposed Trump’s September executive order requiring a $100,000 fee on most new H-1B visas, describing it as “a direct attack on the very workers and communities who fuel America’s economy,” per its press release.
Jayapal’s bill does not directly address employment-based immigration, but it would substantially restrict federal detention powers, increase presumptions in favor of release, and dismantle large parts of the current enforcement structure.
The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act has more than one hundred Democratic cosponsors. Congressional leaders have not indicated whether the House will bring the bill to a vote.
To become law, the bill would need to pass both the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Senate, and then be signed by the President.
