S-2 — Secure America Act

This bill became law on 2026-06-10 as Public Law No. 119-98.

The summary below describes the bill at the version we last reviewed; the enacted text may differ.

YourVoice.Now Summary

Civil LibertiesCriminal Justice & Due ProcessTransparency & Accountability

Directs $69 billion to ICE and Border Patrol hiring, detention, and surveillance tech through 2029, including funds targeting non-cooperating areas.

Civil Liberties

Biometric data collection at border crossings — funds expansion of mandatory entry/exit biometric system for border travelers
Autonomous AI surveillance infrastructure at borders — $3.45B for AI/ML detection and tracking systems operating without continuous human control

Criminal Justice & Due Process

ICE enforcement scope over pre-conviction individuals — "covered unlawful alien" definition includes those arrested or charged with non-traffic offenses, not only convicted
State-local immigration enforcement partnerships — funds expansion of 287(g) agreements delegating federal enforcement authority to local agencies

Transparency & Accountability

Body-worn cameras for ICE enforcement personnel — IT funding specifically includes cameras for enforcement operations

The details

The Secure America Act appropriates approximately $69 billion in new federal spending for border security and immigration enforcement, available through fiscal year 2029. About $44 billion goes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for hiring and equipping agents, deportation transportation, information technology including body-worn cameras, detention facility maintenance, expanding state-local law enforcement partnerships under 287(g) agreements, and at least $350 million specifically to arrest immigration detainees in jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal detainer requests. An additional $22.5 billion goes to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for Border Patrol hiring, AI-powered border surveillance systems, biometric entry/exit data collection infrastructure, and drug and fentanyl interdiction equipment. A separate $108.5 million within the ICE appropriation funds child exploitation investigators and forensics analysts at the Victim Identification Laboratory.

Congressional Summary

Secure America Act This act provides $70 billion in funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through FY2029 for immigration enforcement, border security, and related activities. It is known as a reconciliation bill and includes legislation submitted by certain congressional committees pursuant to provisions in the FY2026 congressional budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 33) that directed the committees to submit legislation to the House or Senate Budget Committee that will increase the deficit. (Reconciliation bills are considered by Congress using expedited legislative procedures that prevent a filibuster and restrict amendments in the Senate.) TITLE I--COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS (Sec. 101) This section provides funding for CBP to hire, pay, train, and equip Border Patrol agents and Border Patrol support personnel to conduct functions other than immigration enforcement and customs functions. The funds provided by this section may not be used to recruit, hire, or train personnel for the duties of processing coordinators after October 31, 2028. (Sec. 102) This section provides funding to ICE for (1) hiring, paying, training, and equipping Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) agents and support personnel; and (2) other necessary expenses for HSI’s mission support and operations and maintenance. It also requires specified funds to be used to hire, pay, and equip additional child exploitation investigators and forensics analysts for certain HSI offices to (1) support the identification and rescue of victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and (2) train such personnel and state and local law enforcement regarding identifying victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The funds provided by this section must be used for functions other than those related to HSI’s immigration enforcement and customs enforcement missions. (Sec. 103) This section provides funding to CBP for border security, technology, and screening, including procurement and integration of new nonintrusive inspection equipment and associated civil works (e.g., artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other innovative technologies) and other mission support to combat the entry or exit of illicit narcotics at ports of entry and along the southwest, northern, and maritime borders; upgrading and procurement of platforms for rapid air and marine response capabilities; upgrading and procurement of border surveillance technologies along the southwest, northern, and maritime borders; necessary expenses, including the deployment of technology, relating to the biometric entry and exit system under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; enhancing border security by combating drug trafficking, including fentanyl and its precursor chemicals, at the southwest, northern, and maritime borders; and necessary expenses for CBP's mission support and operations and maintenance for functions other than those related to its immigration enforcement and customs missions. None of the funds provided by this section may be used for the procurement or deployment of surveillance towers along the southwest border and the northern border that have not been tested and accepted by CBP to deliver autonomous capabilities. Under this section the term autonomous means a system designed to apply artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, or other algorithms to accurately detect, identify, classify, and track items of interest in real time such that the system can make operational adjustments without the active engagement of personnel or continuous human command or control. (Sec. 104) This section provides additional funding to DHS for the purposes for which funding is provided in this title. TITLE II--COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY (Sec. 201) This section provides funding to CBP for hiring, paying, training, and equipping CBP agents and the necessary support staff, and other necessary expenses for mission support and operations and maintenance, in order to carry out immigration enforcement activities. (Sec. 202) This section provides funding to ICE for immigration enforcement and related activities, including hiring, paying, and training personnel; transportation; information technology; facility and fleet maintenance and sustainment; 287(g) agreements (i.e., agreements that allow state and local law enforcement agencies to perform certain immigration enforcement functions); the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor; operation and maintenance; and operations by ICE to arrest certain unlawful aliens. (Sec. 203) This section provides additional funding to DHS for (1) the purposes for which funding is provided in this title, (2) the assignment of certain DHS employees and state officers to carry out immigration enforcement activities, or (3) the participation of state and local agencies in certain homeland security efforts.

Legislative Subjects

Advanced technology and technological innovationsBorder security and unlawful immigrationComputer security and identity theftComputers and information technologyDrug trafficking and controlled substancesHuman traffickingImmigration status and proceduresLaw enforcement administration and fundingSmuggling and trafficking

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: Senate
Status: summarized
Action: Passed Senate
Action Date: 2026-06-05
Date Added: 2026-06-08
Source: Congress.gov →

Like reading a bill in plain English?

We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.