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New bill seeks safer ICE check-ins for immigrants
The legislation comes in response to a sharp increase in ICE arrests occurring during routine check-ins at immigration offices and court buildings.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Tue, 12, May 2026
- 02:01 EDT
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Rep. Grace Meng / Wikimedia commons
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng announced a bill to allow immigrants to complete U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-ins virtually, thereby avoiding arrests at the time of such check-ins.
Announcing the bill on May 11, Meng claimed that her bill would allow immigrants to complete required check-ins on platforms like Zoom instead of appearing in person.
Named the “Safe Check-ins for Immigrants Act,” the legislation comes in response to a sharp increase in ICE arrests occurring during routine check-ins at immigration offices and court buildings.
The bill reads, “The Secretary of Homeland Security shall permit an alien described in paragraph (2) to appear virtually by video teleconference to satisfy the requirement described in paragraph.”
Critics, including Rep. Dan Goldman and Rep. Adriano Espaillat, have pointed out that arresting people who voluntarily show up for check-ins and court dates creates fear and discourages compliance with immigration processes.
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Reps. Goldman and Espaillat had previously introduced the Immigration Court Due Process Protection Act, which prohibits ICE from arresting immigrants at immigration court hearings or routine check-ins without a judicial warrant. The bill aimed to prevent “ambush” arrests and encourage compliance with the system.
Rep. Meng’s bill attempts to solve the same issue with a different measure. In a statement, she claimed that ICE arrests have more than quadrupled during President Donald Trump’s second term, and many of those arrests have been made against people without criminal convictions.
Highlighting the significance of her bill, she said, “ICE agents have been causing chaos in our communities for months.”
She continued, “Immigrants who are complying with the law have been detained and arrested while attending their scheduled check-ins. That’s not enforcement, that’s intimidation.”
Meng also lambasted the Trump administration for going against its own policy of targeting the “worst of the worst” and arresting individuals with no criminal record.
She noted, “My bill would provide a safe, secure way for individuals to fulfill their obligations and continue their path toward legal status without fear.”
The bill is supported by the New York Immigration Coalition, Asian American Federation, New Immigrant Community Empowerment, Adhikaar and Emerald Isle Immigration Center.
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