What legislative bills has Congress introduced since 2020 to bar ICE from detaining U.S. citizens?

1. Lawmakers’ direct approach: H.R. 4456 on the books

Congressional records show H.R. 4456, titled the Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act, was introduced July 16, 2025; its text would bar any federal funds made available to ICE from being used to detain United States citizens or to transport them outside the U.S. ^{[1] [2]}. Multiple outlets and sponsor statements characterize the bill as a straightforward statutory prohibition on ICE using appropriated civil-enforcement funds against citizens ^{[5] [6]}.

2. Amendments inside big spending bills: Jayapal and others pushed a floor fix

Democratic lawmakers tried to accomplish the same goal via amendments to large 2025 budget/reconciliation legislation. Rep. Pramila Jayapal offered an amendment to prevent ICE from using funds in the bill to detain or deport U.S. citizens; Republicans in committee or on the floor blocked or voted down these moves, according to reporting and statements from Democratic offices ^{[3] [4]}. News outlets framed those failed amendments as attempts to insert the same restriction into must-pass spending measures ^{[6] [4]}.

3. Why advocates say these bills are needed — documented incidents and oversight demands

Advocates and some lawmakers cite multiple reported incidents of citizens allegedly detained or deported and have demanded investigations and policy fixes. Congressional letters and press releases in mid‑/late‑2025 pressed DHS for counting and explanations of citizen detentions; Rep. Dan Goldman and Sen. Elizabeth Warren led demands for investigations after reports of wrongful detentions ^[7]. Editorial and advocacy pieces point to rising detention funding and cases in 2025 as the backdrop for urgency ^{[8] [9]}.

4. Opposition and political context: funding increases and debate

The push for prohibitions occurred amid a separate, large congressional push to massively expand detention and removal capacity — a reconciliation or spending package that critics say would give ICE tens of billions for detention and deportation operations (figures like $45 billion for ICE detention appear repeatedly in reporting and analyses of 2025 bills) ^{[10] [11] [12]}. That budgetary context helps explain why Republican lawmakers opposed or deleted amendments meant to curb ICE’s use of funds for citizen detentions ^{[3] [13]}.

5. How these proposals work legally — blocking funding vs. changing ICE rules

The bills and amendments reported take the common congressional route of restricting federal funds: H.R. 4456 and Jayapal’s amendment would prohibit the use of appropriated funds for detaining or transporting U.S. citizens during civil immigration enforcement ^{[1] [2]}. That approach does not rewrite criminal statutes; instead it constrains executive agencies by denying money for particular activities, a standard legislative tool for limiting agency action ^[1].

6. Limits of current reporting and open questions

Available sources document H.R. 4456 and failed amendments in 2025, but they do not provide a comprehensive list of every bill since 2020 on this exact issue; the materials here focus on 2025 legislative activity and related budget fights (available sources do not mention a full catalogue of 2020–2024 bills on this topic). Sources also note uncertainty about the scope of citizen detentions because ICE has not consistently published comprehensive statistics on such incidents, prompting legislative and oversight demands ^{[6] [7]}.

7. Competing narratives and hidden incentives

Democratic sponsors frame these measures as necessary to prevent constitutional violations and wrongful deportations; conservative critics call such legislation unnecessary or “crazy” given existing rules — Rep. Ted Lieu captured that tension when he and others debated the amendments on the House floor, and Republicans ultimately blocked some measures ^{[6] [3]}. Meanwhile, the concurrent push to expand detention funding creates a clear policy friction: lawmakers boosting enforcement capacity have an implicit incentive structure at odds with efforts to carve out protections for citizens ^{[10] [11]}.

8. Practical takeaway for readers

If you want to track this issue: monitor H.R. 4456’s committee actions and votes (it was introduced in July 2025) and follow related amendment activity in appropriations/reconciliation bills, because congressional practice shows both standalone bills and funding riders are the primary vehicles used to bar ICE from particular activities ^{[1] [2] [3]}. For fuller answers about past (2020–2024) bills, available sources do not mention a complete list — further archival research on Congress.gov beyond the documents provided here would be necessary.