House bill would give immigration detainees free phone access each month

What does this do?

HR 5941 would require federal detention facilities to provide immigration detainees at least one free call of 10 minutes or more within the first five hours of detention or transfer. Detainees would receive at least 200 free minutes per month for family calls, plus unlimited free calls to lawyers, immigration courts, consulates, oversight offices, and certain government agencies. Calls to lawyers and oversight officials could not be recorded or monitored without a court-issued warrant.

Who does it affect?

The bill directly affects immigrants held in civil immigration detention, including people awaiting deportation hearings or other immigration proceedings who are not serving criminal sentences. The Department of Homeland Security would be responsible for administering and funding the program.

Why does it matter?

The bill would revive a free phone program that existed during the COVID-19 pandemic and later ended, while adding new protections around attorney calls and family notification. Detention facilities would retain authority to set reasonable rules on when and where calls take place, but could not cap time spent with lawyers or count incoming calls against a detainee's free minutes.

What does it cost, and who pays?

• DHS responsible for program costs
• Funding sourced from existing ICE allocation
• No new spending amount specified