Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly backed the Respect for Local Communities Act to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to solicit public comments and receive written approval from state and local officials before constructing, acquiring or operating any new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility or detention center.
Support legislation requiring the Department of Homeland Security to obtain state and local approval, including public comment, before constructing, acquiring, or operating any new Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility or detention center.
Occurrences
Sen. Ossoff recently cosponsored the Respect for Local Communities Act, which would require the Federal government to secure written approval from state and local governments before opening new ICE detention or processing facilities.
Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly introduced the bicameral Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, legislation to set clear use-of-force standards, increase transparency, and strengthen accountability for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations—protecting communities while ensuring officers can safely address public […]
Evidence
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Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly backed the Respect for Local Communities Act to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to solicit public comments and receive written approval from state and local officials before constructing, acquiring, or operating any new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility or detention center.
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Arizona Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego are backing new legislation that would require Homeland Security officials to get approval from local authorities before opening ICE detention centers in their areas.
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Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego backed the Respect for Local Communities Act, legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to solicit public comments and receive written approval from state and local officials before constructing, acquiring, or operating any new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility or detention center.
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U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is backing a bill that would require local approval before the Federal government can open ICE detention facilities, like in Social Circle. Sen. Ossoff recently cosponsored the Respect for Local Communities Act, which would require the Federal government to secure written approval from state and local governments before opening new ICE detention or processing facilities.
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SA 4708. Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. GALLEGO, and Mr. KELLY) submitted an amendment ... SEC. 4. RESPECT FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. ... requires public comment, written agreement with appropriate local officials, and notice to Congress before new processing sites or detention centers are established.
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S.3894 (Respect for Local Communities Act) — Introduced Feb 23, 2026. Latest action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. No subsequent committee action or passage recorded.
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LegiScan records S.3894 was read twice and referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on February 23, 2026 and lists the bill as pending before that committee with no subsequent committee actions recorded.
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The Congressional Record publishes the text of an amendment (Respect for Local Communities) that includes statutory language requiring public comment and written local approval before DHS may establish new ICE processing or detention facilities and names Sen. Ruben Gallego among supporters; the material appears as an amendment submission in the Senate record.
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Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly backed the Respect for Local Communities Act, which would require DHS to solicit public comments and receive written approval from state and local officials before constructing, acquiring or operating any new ICE processing facility or detention center. The release also says the Secretary of Homeland Security must notify relevant congressional committees before initiating such activities.
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SA 4708. Mrs. Shaheen, for herself, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Gallego, and Mr. Kelly, submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to S. 1383. The text adds a section titled 'Respect for Local Communities Act' and requires public comment and written local approval before a new processing site or detention center may be established.
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The amendment is recorded as submitted and ordered to lie on the table; the record does not show enactment into law.
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The Washington Post reported on May 18, 2026 that Gallego and Kelly had backed a bill in March to block DHS from building detention centers without local approval; their offices told a student organizer the bill was unlikely to pass without Republican support, but the report confirms the senators had taken the supportive legislative position.
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Gallego's Senate press release says he and Senator Kelly backed the Respect for Local Communities Act, which would require DHS to solicit public comments and receive written approval from state and local officials before constructing, acquiring, or operating new ICE processing facilities or detention centers.
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The Congressional Record shows SA 4708 submitted by Senators Shaheen, Hassan, Gallego, and Kelly, with text titled 'Respect for Local Communities' that requires public comment and written local approval before DHS may establish a new processing site or detention center.
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Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly backed the Respect for Local Communities Act
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SA 6083. Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. KELLY, and Mr. KAINE) submitted
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At the request of Mrs. SHAHEEN, the name of the Senator from Arizona (Mr. GALLEGO) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3894, a bill to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from constructing, acquiring, renovating, or operating any new processing site or detention center without providing a mechanism for public comments regarding such activity, entering into a signed, written agreement with appropriate State and local officials, and providing Congress with advance notice of such activity.
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To prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from constructing, acquiring, renovating, or operating any new processing site or detention center without providing a mechanism for public comments regarding such activity, entering into a signed, written agreement with appropriate State and local officials, and providing Congress with advance notice of such activity.
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07-14-2026 | S.3894 | Respect for Local Communities Act Latest Action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Assessments
The promise was to support legislation with this local-approval and public-comment requirement, not necessarily to enact it. The record shows Gallego publicly backed the Respect for Local Communities Act, was identified with Kelly on the bill, and was named on Senate amendment SA 4708 containing the same operative language requiring public comment and written state/local approval before new ICE processing or detention facilities could be opened. The proposal had not been enacted, but Gallego did deliver on the narrower promise to support such legislation during his current Senate term.
The promise was to support legislation requiring DHS to obtain public comment and state/local approval before establishing new ICE processing or detention facilities, not necessarily to secure enactment. During Gallego's Senate term, he backed the Respect for Local Communities Act and was named as a supporter of Senate amendment language containing the same requirements. The bill and amendment do not appear to have been enacted, but the pledged action of supporting the legislation was fulfilled in the same federal term.
Sen. Gallego publicly backed and is named as a supporter/sponsor of the Respect for Local Communities Act (S.3894) and an amendment (SA 4708) that contain the statutory language requiring public comment and written local approval before DHS may establish new ICE processing or detention facilities. These actions show a concrete legislative attempt. However, the bill was only introduced (read twice and referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Feb 23, 2026) and the amendment appears in the Congressional Record as a submission (Mar 19, 2026); there is no record the bill advanced out of committee or was enacted into law as of the assessment window. Because the statutory change required by the campaign promise was not enacted, the promise was not delivered despite clear legislative effort.
Sen. Ruben Gallego cosponsored and publicly backed the Respect for Local Communities Act (S.3894) and was named on a Senate amendment (SA 4708) containing the statutory language requiring public comment and written local approval before new ICE processing or detention sites are established. The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (Feb–Mar 2026) but, as of the assessment window (April 19, 2026), there is no record it advanced out of committee or was enacted into law. This constitutes a documented legislative effort that did not achieve the promised statutory change, so the pledge was not delivered.
While Senator Ruben Gallego introduced and actively supported legislation (the Respect for Local Communities Act) that aligns with his campaign promise to require DHS to obtain state and local approval and seek public comment before establishing new ICE facilities, there is no evidence the legislation was enacted into law. The evidence shows clear and timely legislative effort but not the actual delivery of the promised policy outcome.
Ruben Gallego sponsored and backed the Respect for Local Communities Act, which specifically addresses the promise to require DHS to obtain state, local approval and public comment before constructing or operating new ICE processing or detention facilities. However, there is no evidence presented that this legislation became law or that the requirement was actually enacted or implemented. Therefore, the promise was not delivered, but Gallego made a serious legislative attempt.
Ruben Gallego introduced and supported the Respect for Local Communities Act, which aligns precisely with the campaign promise to require DHS to secure state and local approval and public comment before opening new ICE detention facilities. However, there is no evidence the legislation passed or became law, thus the promised outcome was not delivered. The legislative effort was serious and well-documented.