This bill establishes a new Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within the Department of Homeland Security, led by an Officer who reports directly to the department head. The Office is tasked with overseeing compliance with civil rights laws, reviewing potential abuses or profiling by employees, and integrating these protections into all department policies and programs. It grants the Officer authority to investigate complaints, issue public reports on findings, and coordinate with other officials to ensure diverse communities are engaged effectively. Additionally, the legislation requires each major department unit to have its own civil rights officer and mandates annual reporting to Congress on the Office's activities and progress.
The Temporary Protected Status Review Act restores the ability of courts to review decisions by the Department of Homeland Security to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for foreign nationals. Under this bill, the government must publish detailed written findings explaining why a country no longer qualifies for TPS protection, and these decisions would be subject to a legal challenge in federal court. If a TPS designation is terminated, the affected individuals would remain in the United States with their current status and work authorization intact while the legal challenge is pending. Additionally, the legislation requires the government to follow specific administrative procedures, such as considering all available evidence and avoiding bias, before making any termination decisions.
The Ban Birth Tourism Act of 2026 prohibits individuals from entering the United States if their main reason for travel is to have a child born there to gain U.S. citizenship. This law makes such travelers inadmissible upon arrival and subject to deportation if they are found to have entered the country specifically for this purpose. Officials determine whether someone is engaging in birth tourism by assessing if the person's primary goal is obtaining citizenship for a child or if they are likely to give birth within ten months of entry. The bill directly affects foreign nationals planning to visit the U.S. with the intent of using their child's birthplace to secure citizenship status.
The American Citizenship Act proposes changes to how birthright citizenship is determined for children born in the United States. Under this bill, a newborn would automatically be a U.S. citizen only if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or has lawful permanent resident status at the time of birth. The legislation explicitly excludes children born to parents who are both undocumented or do not meet these residency requirements from receiving citizenship solely based on their birthplace. Importantly, the bill states that these new rules will not apply retroactively to anyone who was already born before the law takes effect.
The Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2026 allows nationals of Haiti and their immediate family members who have lived continuously in the United States since June 26, 2024, to apply for permanent resident status. To qualify, applicants must submit their request within three years of the bill's enactment and generally cannot have been convicted of aggravated felonies, multiple crimes of moral turpitude, or acts of persecution. The bill also permits eligible individuals with existing deportation orders to apply without first overturning those orders and grants them work authorization while their applications are pending. Additionally, the legislation ensures that granting permanent residence to these applicants does not reduce the number of available immigrant visas for other categories.
The LIFT the BAR Act aims to restore access to federal benefits for lawfully present noncitizens by repealing several restrictions imposed by the 1996 welfare reform law and a 2024 reconciliation bill. Specifically, it would allow eligible noncitizens to receive SNAP food assistance, Medicaid, CHIP, and child nutrition programs, while also updating legal terminology to refer to "noncitizens" rather than "aliens" in relevant statutes. The legislation includes provisions to ensure these individuals can qualify for premium tax credits and would require federal agencies to issue implementation guidance within 180 days of enactment.
The Find Our Families Act of 2026 requires the Department of Homeland Security to create a public online system that allows families to locate individuals detained by Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This system must provide search results within eight hours of detention, display information in multiple languages, and include specific details such as names, dates of birth, and facility locations, while excluding data for minors. The bill also mandates that families be notified within five hours if a detainee is transferred for medical care and establishes new reporting requirements for CBP arrests, including details on the circumstances of the arrest and the number of agents involved. Additionally, the legislation creates a process for families to report errors in detainee information and imposes penalties on employees or contractors who fail to comply with these data-sharing and reporting obligations.
This bill, titled the No Exceptions for Non-Citizens Voting Act, aims to strengthen penalties for non-citizens who vote illegally in the United States. It modifies federal law to make voting by aliens a specific ground for inadmissibility and deportability under immigration statutes. The legislation also removes existing exceptions that previously allowed certain non-citizens to vote in federal elections without facing these specific immigration consequences. By updating the Immigration and Nationality Act, the bill ensures that any alien who votes in violation of any election law faces potential removal from the country.
The Sanctuary City Elimination Act defines "sanctuary jurisdictions" as states or local areas that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities, such as refusing to share immigration data or honor detention requests. If a jurisdiction is classified as a sanctuary, the bill prohibits it from receiving various federal grants, including funding for education, environmental protection, economic development, and community housing projects. The legislation also provides a legal mechanism allowing state attorneys general to sue in federal court to recover these funds if a sanctuary jurisdiction releases an immigrant who subsequently commits a crime in another state. Additionally, the bill grants local law enforcement the authority to act as federal agents when complying with immigration detainers and offers them immunity from liability in lawsuits related to those actions.
The No Illegal Captivity and Extensions Act of 2026 prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from issuing or enforcing immigration detainers, which are requests for local law enforcement to hold individuals beyond their scheduled release. This change directly affects federal immigration authorities and local police departments by removing the legal basis for holding people based solely on immigration status. The bill achieves this by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to strike specific detention provisions and adding a general ban on detainers, including those used through agreements with other government agencies. Consequently, local law enforcement agencies would no longer be legally required to detain individuals after their criminal sentences are completed if the federal government requests it.
