H.R. 5941: Minimum free and private phone access rules in immigration detention
Officially: Restoring Access for Detainees Act
Guarantees early family contact and private access to lawyers or consulates for people in DHS immigration custody. Sets 200 free outgoing minutes a month plus unlimited free, confidential calls to legal, court, consular, and oversight contacts.
Where it stands
Sitting in House Committee
No vote scheduled. Constituent contact is what moves bills out of committee.
- Requires at least one chance to communicate with an immediate family member for 10 minutes within the first 5 hours of DHS custody, and again within 5 hours after arriving at any new detention location.
- If the person cannot successfully reach immediate family in that first 5-hour window, the facility has to keep trying until the person does make contact.
- Guarantees at least 200 free minutes each month for outgoing calls or other electronic messages to family and other contacts named in the bill, separate from unlimited free legal and official communications.
↓ Why your message matters here
This bill is sitting in committee with no scheduled vote — which means a small number of constituent messages can decide whether it moves forward or quietly dies.
The debate
What people are saying about this bill
- Free, private contact with lawyers and courts can help detainees understand their rights and take part in their immigration cases.
- Quick, guaranteed family contact after arrest or transfer can reduce confusion about where someone is being held and can help keep families stable.
- One national minimum standard can reduce big differences between facilities and reduce policies that make communication hard or unaffordable for people without money.
- Providing more free communication services could raise costs for DHS and detention facilities, potentially forcing tradeoffs with other operations or requiring new appropriations.
- Unlimited free legal and official communications, plus 200 free minutes for other outgoing communications, could strain phones, staffing, and scheduling in busy facilities.
- Extra communication benefits could be seen as going beyond what is needed to ensure basic access to legal help in an already expensive detention system.
Where this bill is in the process
Legislative timeline
Introduced
Introduced in House
House Committee
Under House committee consideration
Latest: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (11/7/2025)
House Floor Vote
Voted on by House
Passed House
Approved by House
Senate Review
Sent to Senate for consideration
Passed Both Chambers
Approved by both House and Senate
Signed into Law
Signed by the President
For more detail