Watson Coleman submits bill to restrict Homeland Security detention practices in House

A bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman seeks to narrow Homeland Security’s detention authority with respect to immigrants who are considered persons of good moral character, the U.S. Congress reports.

Designated as H.R.7456 and introduced on Feb. 9, 2026, during the 119th Congress’s regular session, the legislation and its details are outlined below, based on our review of the original bill and may include clarifying interpretation.

The bill’s core provision would limit when the Secretary of Homeland Security may detain immigrants who have been determined to be of good moral character—prohibiting custody at points of arrival to or departure from DHS field offices or Executive Office for Immigration Review locations before a removal order is in place. Exceptions cover individuals found not to meet the moral character standard according to an immigration judge, but such findings cannot rest solely on unlawful stay or entry. The proposal also instructs the Attorney General not to list names of individuals involved in immigration hearings outside of the assigned hearing area.

The primary sponsor is Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12th District), joined by co-sponsors Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-NJ) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-NJ-2nd District).

Alongside this proposal, Rep. Watson Coleman has sponsored 31 other bills since this session began.

Either chamber of Congress—the House or the Senate—can introduce bills, with the exception of laws regarding revenue, which must begin in the House. Following introduction, measures go to committees for evaluation, hearings, amendments, and debate before a full-chamber vote. To become law, both the House and Senate must pass identical versions, then the measure goes to the president for approval or veto. Each Congress is assigned a two-year term, split into annual sessions and sequentially numbered. Lawmaking and official bill tracking are managed by the U.S. Congress, with records available on Congress.gov.

Bonnie Watson Coleman represents New Jersey in the House. She graduated from Ewing High School in 1963 and obtained a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State College in 1985. Watson Coleman was a member of the New Jersey state assembly from 1998 to 2014 and served as majority leader from 2006 to 2009. She chaired the state Democratic committee from 2002 to 2006, and was first elected to Congress in 2015, serving continuously since the 114th Congress.

Details for this article were sourced from the U.S. Congress. Source data is available here.