DHS must now report every use of force—and ban chokeholds

What it does

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to adopt a department-wide policy on use of force by its law enforcement officers and agents. The policy must mandate de-escalation as the preferred approach, prohibit chokeholds and carotid restraints, require officers to identify themselves and issue warnings before using force, and mandate initial and recurrent training in de-escalation tactics. The bill also requires DHS to publish detailed reports every six months on all use-of-force incidents, including those involving injury, death, or deployment of less-lethal devices, with data disaggregated by component and made public within 24 hours for incidents resulting in hospitalization or death.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is a mandatory use-of-force policy with public reporting and internal oversight, designed to increase transparency and reduce unnecessary force by DHS law enforcement. This is a straightforward accountability measure, not a subsidy, carve-out, or deregulation.

What the text implies

• The 24-hour public notification requirement for serious incidents may create operational pressure on DHS to investigate and brief Congress rapidly, potentially affecting how incidents are initially characterized or communicated.
• Mandatory de-escalation training and chokehold prohibition may reduce certain tactical options available to DHS officers, potentially affecting training curricula and operational doctrine across CBP, ICE, Secret Service, and other DHS components.
• The requirement for each DHS component to maintain a use-of-force review council creates new administrative overhead and may surface systemic patterns of force use that were previously not aggregated or analyzed department-wide.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill strengthens public accountability and officer safety by mandating transparent reporting of use-of-force incidents, requiring de-escalation training, and prohibiting dangerous restraint techniques. Citizens gain visibility into law enforcement conduct and a documented policy framework designed to reduce unnecessary force and injury.

Named in the bill

Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Secret Service, House Committee on Homeland Security, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, DHS Office of Inspector General

Where it stands

29 cosponsors: 29 Democrats.

• Jan 15, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 15, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary and House Committee on Homeland Security · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a…”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.