This bill, titled the Deport the Terrorists Act of 2026, aims to remove from the United States any naturalized citizen convicted of specific terrorism-related crimes. It directly affects individuals who have already become U.S. citizens by automatically revoking their citizenship and declaring their naturalization certificates void upon conviction of offenses such as using weapons of mass destruction or providing material support to terrorists. The law also designates these individuals as deportable aliens and requires the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize their removal from the country. By amending existing immigration laws, the bill ensures that courts have the authority to cancel citizenship immediately following a conviction for these designated offenses.
The Our Doctors First Act of 2026 prohibits Medicare from providing federal funding for the graduate medical education of doctors who are not U.S. citizens or nationals. This change applies to hospitals and non-hospital training providers, requiring them to stop counting non-citizen residents and interns toward their Medicare payments starting one year after the law is enacted. To enforce this rule, the bill imposes escalating financial penalties on facilities that knowingly count ineligible trainees, ranging from a percentage of the payment amount for a first offense to a five-year ban on receiving Medicare education funds for repeated violations.
The Respect Our Communities Act restricts the Department of Homeland Security from building or operating new immigration detention centers without first obtaining written permission from local elected officials and state governors. Before any construction begins, federal agencies must publish a detailed public notice inviting at least 30 days of community feedback and submit a report to Congress that includes an economic impact analysis and an engineering review of resource usage. This legislation directly affects the federal agencies responsible for immigration enforcement and the local governments where new facilities might be located by mandating a collaborative approval process.
This joint resolution seeks to officially reject a specific rule issued by the Executive Office for Immigration Review that governs appellate procedures at the Board of Immigration Appeals. By invoking a statutory mechanism known as a "congressional disapproval resolution," the bill aims to prevent the new rule from taking effect or having any legal force. If passed, it would directly impact immigration judges and attorneys who rely on the Board's appellate processes by nullifying the Executive Office's proposed changes. The measure represents a legislative check on executive agency authority rather than creating new immigration policies itself.
This bill requires states to verify that applicants for driver's licenses, commercial licenses, and state ID cards have lawful presence in the United States before issuing them. To enforce this, the legislation mandates that states use approved methods to electronically validate biometric data, conduct background checks, and cross-reference tax and social security records with federal agencies. If a state fails to implement and enforce these verification procedures by October 1, 2026, the federal government will withhold 10% of the state's transportation funding until compliance is achieved. Any withheld funds are then redistributed proportionally to states that have met the new requirements. The bill does not alter existing REAL ID standards but adds a specific layer of immigration status verification to the licensing process.
This bill requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to limit the use of short-term holding facilities to a maximum of 12 hours for detainees, unless specific exceptional circumstances like medical emergencies or natural disasters occur. To enforce this rule, the Department of Homeland Security must ensure facilities remain safe and provide meals every six hours, along with constant access to water and appropriate food for vulnerable individuals such as minors and pregnant women. The legislation also mandates that officials document any instances where a detainee is held longer than 12 hours and submit annual reports to Congress detailing the number of such cases, their duration, and the reasons given for the extended custody. Additionally, the Department's Inspector General will conduct periodic audits to verify compliance with these new standards.
The Detention Authority Clarification Act amends immigration laws to change the term 'alien seeking admission' to 'applicant for admission' in specific sections. It also updates the list of individuals subject to mandatory detention by adding a new category for applicants seeking entry. These changes aim to clarify the terminology and scope of who can be detained under current immigration statutes.
The 287(g) Expansion Act allows states and local law enforcement agencies that have partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to receive additional federal funding. Specifically, eligible jurisdictions can apply for up to a 10 percent increase in their annual Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant if they maintain an active 287(g) agreement. The legislation authorizes $20 million per year from 2027 to 2033 to support these increased allocations, which are intended to enhance immigration enforcement efforts within participating communities.
The Federal Benefits Repatriation Verification Act of 2026 restricts noncitizens receiving federal benefits from sending more than $1,000 in monetary assets to foreign accounts or individuals within any 12-month period. To enforce this limit, the bill requires noncitizen recipients to annually certify their compliance and mandates that financial institutions, including banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, check a new Treasury database before processing transfers. If a noncitizen exceeds the limit or fails to provide certification, they become ineligible for programs such as Social Security, SNAP, and Medicaid, while financial institutions face civil penalties for non-compliance. The legislation also directs the Treasury to create a secure database to track these transactions and share data with benefit agencies to verify eligibility in real time.
This bill fundamentally restructures the U.S. immigration system by replacing the current employment-based visa categories with a new points-based program that prioritizes applicants with high salaries, advanced degrees, English proficiency, and U.S. military service. Under this new system, employers must attest that they have attempted to hire qualified American workers first and guarantee that hiring an immigrant will not result in layoffs of existing U.S. employees. Additionally, the bill eliminates the Diversity Lottery program, restricts certain family sponsorship categories for citizens, and imposes conditional permanent resident status on new immigrants who must prove they are not receiving public benefits and remain employed within two years. The legislation also mandates that undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition rates at colleges and requires immigrants to sign statements affirming their loyalty to U.S. constitutional principles and opposition to specific forms of persecution.