In announcing the legislation, U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., cited an Associated Press investigation that revealed several examples of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of DHS, using the device on people — sometimes for hours — on deportation flights.
The Department of Homeland Security would be barred from using a full-body restraint device called the WRAP under a new bill introduced in the House on Wednesday. The “Full-Body Restraint Prohibition Act,” sponsored by U.
S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., would prohibit future purchases of the device and create oversight and reporting requirements. In announcing the legislation, Ramirez cited an Associated Press investigation that revealed several examples of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of DHS, using the device on people — sometimes for hours — on deportation flights dating to 2020. The WRAP “fuels destruction in our communities and human suffering. This legislation is an additional step to end the pain and violence caused by DHS,” Ramirez said in a statement. Made by California-based Safe Restraints Inc., the WRAP is the subject of several federal lawsuits likening its incorrect usage to punishment and even torture. Advocates have expressed concern that ICE is not tracking the WRAP’s use as required by federal law when officers use force, making it difficult to discern exactly how many people are being subjected to the restraints. In addition to reporting on ICE’s use of the device, the AP identified a dozen fatal cases in the last decade where local police or jailers around the U.S. used the WRAP and autopsies determined “restraint” played a role in the death. DHS has not answered detailed questions from the AP about the use of the WRAP and did not respond to a request for comment on the bill. The AP found that ICE has used the device despite internal concerns voiced in a 2023 report by the civil rights division of DHS, in part due to reports of deaths involving use of the WRAP by local law enforcement. Ramirez also cited reporting by Bloomberg Law on the WRAP. Federal purchasing records show that DHS paid Safe Restraints Inc. $268,523 since it started purchasing the devices in late 2015, during the Obama administration, through June 2025. Government purchasing records show the two Trump administrations have been responsible for about 91% of that spending. Charles Hammond, the company’s CEO, said in a statement that the WRAP was designed to provide a “safer, more humane, pain-free alternative to other restraint methods.” “Eliminating The WRAP from these situations would not lead to safer outcomes; it would force the return to alternative restraints and tactics proven to cause pain, injury and even fatalities,” Hammond said. The company made a modified version of the device for ICE, Hammond said. The ICE version had changes meant to allow people to be kept in it during flights and long bus trips. Still, ICE officials have a much lower threshold for deploying the WRAP than the manufacturer advises, the AP found. Detainees interviewed by the AP said ICE officers used the restraints on them after they had already been shackled. They said this was done to intimidate or punish them for asking to speak to their attorneys or expressing fear at being deported, often to places they fled due to violence and torture. Hammond told the AP that, if true that some people were not being violent and simply protesting verbally, putting them in the WRAP could be improper use. After AP’s investigation in October, a group of 11 Democratic U.S. senators wrote a letter to top immigration officials citing the AP’s investigation and saying ICE’s use of the full-body restrains onboard deportation flights is raising “serious human rights concerns.” Dearen and Mustian write for the Associated Press.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Blockbuster blizzard is shifting its roar from New Jersey and New York to New EnglandA storm moving along the Northeast coast of the United States has rapidly strengthened into a bomb cyclone. Through much of Monday, the major nor&8217;easter will focus its fury on coastal areas of New York and southeastern New England. Farther west, the heaviest snow will diminish in the zone from New Jersey and Delaware to...
Read more »
A new lawsuit alleges DHS illegally tracked and intimidated observersObservers watching federal immigration enforcement in Maine who were told by agents they were 'domestic terrorists' and would be added to a 'database' or 'watchlist' are now part of a new federal class action lawsuit.
Read more »
USA Basketball's road to 2028: New era, new coach, new decisionsWith Los Angeles 2028 up next on the Olympic calendar, what lies ahead for USA Basketball?
Read more »
With New Policy, DHS Sets Its Sights on Incarcerating Up to 100,000 RefugeesFearless Independent Journalism
Read more »
State, local lawmakers push back against East Side ICE facility in new letter to DHSState and local lawmakers issued a joint letter pushing against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans for a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility on the East Side.
Read more »
Citing AP investigation, new bill seeks to prohibit DHS from using full-body restraintsThe Department of Homeland Security would be barred from using a full-body restraint device called the WRAP under a new bill introduced in the House on
Read more »