# Plain Language Summary: Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in U.S. Customs and Border Protection Custody Act

This bill sets basic humanitarian requirements for how people are treated when they're held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—the agency that guards the borders and detains immigrants and asylum seekers. Right now, there aren't clear federal standards about what conditions people must be provided while in CBP custody, so this bill aims to establish minimum requirements for things like food, water, medical care, and safe conditions.

The bill would require CBP to provide detained individuals with adequate food and drinking water, basic medical attention, and access to necessary hygiene items. It also establishes standards for how people should be treated—prohibiting abuse, ensuring they're not held in overcrowded or dangerous conditions, and making sure vulnerable people like children, pregnant women, and people with serious medical conditions receive appropriate care. The bill would also require CBP to keep records of what happens to people in their custody and make information about detention conditions more transparent to the public and Congress.

This affects anyone who might be detained at the border, including asylum seekers, undocumented immigrants, and people being held for immigration violations. It also affects CBP officers and facilities, as they would need to follow these new standards and potentially invest in better conditions and record-keeping systems. The practical impact would be that detention facilities would need to meet minimum humanitarian standards rather than operating under vague guidelines, which could mean improvements in how people are treated while awaiting immigration proceedings or deportation.

Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in U.S. Customs and Border Protection Custody Act

Luján, Ben Ray

Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in U.S. Customs and Border Protection Custody ActThis bill imposes requirements and standards related to the care of non-U.S. nationals (aliens&nbsp;under federal law) in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody.CBP must conduct an initial health screening of each individual in custody to identify those with acute conditions and high-risk vulnerabilities and to provide appropriate healthcare. CBP must conduct the screening within 12 hours of each&nbsp;individual's arrival at a CBP facility, and within 6 hours for certain priority individuals such as children and individuals with disabilities.The bill imposes various requirements related to providing such screenings, such as providing interpreters, chaperones, and mental health treatment when necessary.CBP must ensure detainees have access to drinking water, toilets, sanitation facilities, hygiene products, food, and shelter. The bill imposes certain standards relating to such requirements, such as the minimum amount of drinking water for each detainee and the acceptable temperature range of the shelters.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must enter into memoranda of understanding with various government agencies to address instances when surge capacity is necessary.The DHS Office of the Inspector General must conduct unannounced inspections of ports of entry, border patrol stations, and detention facilities and report the results to Congress. The Government Accountability Office must assess CBP's management of such facilities, whether CBP and DHS processes are in compliance with this bill's requirements, and the behavior of CBP personnel in carrying out this bill.DHS shall publicly release on its website, on a quarterly basis, aggregate data on complaints of sexual abuse at CBP facilities.