HR 7284, the ICE OUT Act, modifies legal protections for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents during law enforcement actions. It eliminates qualified immunity for agents accused of using excessive force violating the Fourth Amendment, meaning such claims can no longer be dismissed based on immunity. For other cases, agents can only claim immunity if their actions matched clearly established constitutional rights at the time of the incident. The bill requires courts to first determine if constitutional rights were violated before assessing whether those rights were "clearly established," shifting the legal standard in civil lawsuits against these agents. This directly affects ICE and CBP officers facing civil rights lawsuits related to enforcement activities.
This bill (S 3009) denies U.S. immigration benefits, visas, or admission to any non-citizen who advocates for imposing Sharia law in ways that violate constitutional or U.S. legal rights. It allows officials to revoke existing immigration benefits, deem individuals inadmissible or deportable, and remove them from the U.S. for such advocacy. Key provisions add "advocation of Sharia law" as grounds for inadmissibility under Section 212(a) and deportability under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The bill also prohibits judicial review of removal decisions made under these provisions. It directly affects non-citizens whose advocacy of Sharia law conflicts with U.S. law or rights.
HR 7123, the Abolish ICE Act, would eliminate the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency by prohibiting all federal funding for its operations, redirecting existing unobligated funds, and transferring ICE assets to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary. The bill requires ICE to be formally abolished 90 days after enactment, ending all its functions under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. This directly affects ICE as an agency and would shift immigration enforcement responsibilities to other federal entities. The legislation focuses on the structural removal of ICE, not on specific immigration policies or outcomes.
This bill requires U.S. immigration authorities to detain noncitizen parents together with their children under 18 when the parent is charged solely with a misdemeanor border crossing offense (e.g., illegal entry). It prohibits separating such families during immigration proceedings and mandates that parents and children be held in the same facility. The law also blocks states from imposing licensing requirements on detention facilities housing these families. It applies to all cases occurring after enactment, overriding prior agreements like the Flores settlement regarding family detention.
HR 1195, the Protect Medicaid Act, prohibits federal Medicaid funds from covering administrative costs related to health benefits provided to unauthorized immigrants who lack lawful immigration status and are ineligible for Medicaid. This directly affects states that currently provide such benefits, requiring them to separate these administrative costs from general Medicaid program expenses. The bill adds a new provision to the Social Security Act clarifying that federal funds cannot be used for these specific administrative costs, while allowing funds for systems designed to enforce this rule. It also mandates an Inspector General report detailing how states separate costs, ensure compliance, finance these programs (e.g., through provider taxes), and the impact on drug pricing for this population.
The Protect America Act (S 3790) primarily requires jurisdictions receiving certain federal funds to certify they do not maintain "sanctuary policies" that obstruct immigration enforcement cooperation. It creates a process for identifying noncompliant jurisdictions, recovering funds, and establishing civil liability for harm resulting from policies that obstruct immigration enforcement. The bill also increases penalties for illegal entry and reentry, enhances protections for federal officers, and restricts tax-exempt status for nonprofits promoting criminal violence. This legislation directly affects state and local governments, detention facilities, and educational institutions receiving federal funding, with significant implications for immigration enforcement coordination.
HR 4838, the "ERIC ADAMS Act of 2025," creates criminal liability for mayors of cities designated as "sanctuary cities" if an undocumented immigrant commits murder within that city and the mayor's sanctuary policy (which restricts cooperation with federal immigration enforcement) directly contributed to the immigrant not being detained or removed. Mayors convicted under this law could face up to 7 years in prison, fines, or both, plus mandatory removal from office. The bill defines a "sanctuary city" as one that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities or complying with immigration detainer requests. The Attorney General would have exclusive authority to prosecute violations, with federal courts handling all cases.
HR 7612 (End Sanctuary Cities Act of 2026) prohibits state and local government officials from interfering with federal immigration enforcement by blocking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requests for "reasonable advance notice" (at least 48 hours) about releasing criminal aliens. It directly affects local leaders who establish policies restricting such notice, imposing criminal penalties: up to 25 years in prison for failures leading to the release of individuals convicted of murder, rape, or sex offenses against minors. Penalties decrease to 5-10 years for serious violent felonies and 30 days-6 months for other criminal offenses. The law creates new federal criminal charges under Title 18, Section 1925, targeting officials who obstruct DHS compliance with immigration laws.
The Fundamental Immigration Fairness Act would prevent the Department of Homeland Security from detaining non-citizens who are arriving at or departing from DHS field offices or immigration court facilities before a removal order is issued, unless they are found not of good moral character by an immigration judge. It clarifies that an immigration judge cannot determine someone lacks good moral character based solely on unlawful presence or entry into the U.S. The bill also prohibits publicly displaying the names of non-government parties in immigration proceedings within court facilities. These changes aim to limit unnecessary pre-removal detention and protect privacy for individuals in immigration cases.
HR 7161, the "No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act," prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using private contractors for immigration enforcement tasks like tracking individuals (skip tracing), surveillance, or location verification. It bans DHS from entering new contracts for these purposes after enactment, terminates existing contracts allowing them, and amends others to prohibit them. The bill also blocks federal funds from paying private entities per-person or via bonuses for locating individuals under immigration detainers, except for limited government-supervised data tools. DHS must audit all relevant contracts within 30 days of the bill's enactment to ensure compliance.
