H.R. 1932 Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011 (Updated 7/15/11)

On May 24, 2011, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on H.R. 1932, Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011 (Lamar Smith, R-TX), a sweeping detention bill. Although supporters of the bill characterize it as narrowly tailored to target a few, dangerous individuals, the bill would both greatly expand the use of indefinite detention for people who cannot be deported and explicitly authorize DHS to hold individuals during removal proceedings, without a bond hearing, no matter how long they last. The bill would impact asylum seekers fleeing persecution as well as lawful permanent residents, including those with very old criminal convictions.

• Text of H.R. 1932
• AILA Summary of H.R. 1932
• AILA Testimony for the May 24, 2011 hearing
• Find out if your representative sponsored this bill

On July 14, 2011, the Judiciary Committee held a markup of H.R. 1932 and approved the amended bill by a 17-14 vote.