Immigration

The Secure America Act appropriates billions of dollars to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for fiscal year 2026 to expand staffing and operations. These funds are specifically designated for hiring agents to conduct functions other than immigration enforcement and customs duties, as well as for purchasing new technology to combat drug trafficking and improve border surveillance. The legislation includes restrictions that prohibit using the money to recruit processing coordinators after October 2028 and bans the deployment of untested autonomous surveillance towers. A portion of the funding is also set aside to hire investigators and analysts dedicated to identifying and rescuing victims of child sexual exploitation.

This bill mandates that the Secretary of Homeland Security grant temporary protected status (TPS) to Haitian nationals already residing in the United States. It requires the designation to begin on August 3, 2025, and last for 18 months, allowing eligible individuals to legally stay and work during that period. The bill directly affects Haitian nationals in the U.S. who qualify under TPS criteria, providing them temporary relief from deportation. The key provision is the mandatory 18-month TPS period with a specific start date, overriding other legal provisions that might otherwise prevent such a designation.

HRES 965 is a procedural resolution that directs the House to immediately consider H.R. 1689, a bill requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for temporary protected status (TPS) until March 20, 2029. The resolution waives objections to the bill, sets a one-hour debate period equally divided between leadership, and specifies the amendment that would mandate the TPS designation. It does not change immigration law itself but streamlines the legislative process for H.R. 1689. This resolution affects Haitian nationals in the U.S. who could qualify for TPS under this provision.

This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to relocate all its regional, district, and local offices out of jurisdictions classified as "sanctuary jurisdictions" - defined as areas with policies restricting sharing of immigration information with federal authorities or refusing to comply with certain immigration detainer requests. Offices must be moved within 60 days to a location outside a sanctuary jurisdiction, and operations must pause during relocation. The bill excludes jurisdictions with policies protecting crime victims or witnesses from being deemed sanctuary jurisdictions. It directly affects SBA offices (excluding headquarters) in 37 states and localities with such policies, mandating their physical relocation.