Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez introduced new legislation aimed at prohibiting federal immigration officers from conducting searches of private property without a judicial warrant.
The bill, titled the “Say No to Warrantless Searches Act,” is intended to reinforce Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. According to Gonzalez, recent immigration enforcement practices in regions such as South Texas and Minnesota have involved federal officers entering homes using administrative warrants or, in some cases, without any signed judicial authorization.
Gonzalez stated that such practices raise constitutional concerns and could establish broader precedents affecting all U.S. residents. He emphasized that the legislation seeks to ensure that federal agencies cannot bypass judicial oversight when conducting enforcement operations inside private residences.
The issue has drawn attention following a recent lawsuit filed by a family in Donna, Texas, against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The family alleges that federal officers entered their property without proper authorization and detained two individuals who were in the process of obtaining lawful immigration status.
Under the proposed legislation, federal immigration authorities would be explicitly required to obtain a judicial warrant before entering private property. While the Fourth Amendment already provides protections against unreasonable searches, supporters of the bill argue that current enforcement practices rely on administrative interpretations and court precedents, rather than clear statutory requirements.
The proposal follows reports, including an internal memorandum from immigration authorities, indicating that existing policies may allow officers to conduct home entries without judicial warrants under certain circumstances.
The full bill text can be found here.
See memo here:
