Justice for Jocelyn Act

The Justice for Jocelyn Act would markedly reshape how the U.S. handles release decisions for non-detained immigration cases. It would bar release into any Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program unless detention beds are fully utilized, no detention option exists, and DHS has exhausted all reasonable detention efforts. It would then require every alien on the ICE nondetained docket to be enrolled in ATD with continuous GPS monitoring for the duration of immigration proceedings (and until removal if removal is ordered), plus a curfew requiring them to stay at a designated ATD-compliant home address from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Finally, the bill creates a new ground for removal in absentia if an officer can certify that an individual failed to comply with a release condition, allowing removal without the person’s appearance in court. A severability clause is included so if some provisions are struck down, the rest remain in force. In short, the bill would dramatically expand monitoring and curfews for many non-detained immigration cases, tighten the circumstances under which someone can be released, and add a mechanism to remove individuals who fail to comply with release conditions without their presence at a removal hearing.