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 would amend federal law to strengthen penalties for organized retail crime by expanding definitions of theft to include digital goods, gift cards, and setting a $5,000 aggregate value threshold for charges over a 12-month period. It would establish a new "Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center" under Homeland Security to coordinate Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement efforts against cross-jurisdictional theft groups. The Center would share information with retailers, transportation companies, and law enforcement agencies, track crime trends, and produce annual reports on organized retail crime. This legislation directly affects retailers, supply chain businesses, and law enforcement agencies, while targeting organized crime groups responsible for a 93% increase in larceny incidents and rising safety concerns for retail employees. The bill aims to address significant financial losses and supply chain disruptions noted in the National Retail Federation's 2023 data.
Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act This bill removes less-than-lethal projectile devices (e.g., certain TASERs) from regulation under the Gun Control Act. The term less-than-lethal projectile device means a device that (1) is not designed or intended to expel (and may not be readily converted to discharge) commonly used ammunition or projectiles exceeding a velocity of 500 feet per second; (2) is designed and intended to be used in a manner not likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; and (3) does not accept (and cannot be readily modified to accept) an ammunition feeding device. The bill also requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine whether a device satisfies the definition of a less-than-lethal projectile device within 90 days of a request.
This bill lowers the age at which minors in Washington, D.C. can be tried as adults for certain crimes from 16 to 14 years old. It amends two key sections of D.C. law: changing the age for exclusion from juvenile court jurisdiction (from 16 to 14) and lowering the age for transfer to criminal court (from 15-18 to 14 across multiple scenarios). The policy directly affects minors aged 14 or older who commit specified serious offenses in D.C., removing them from the juvenile justice system. The changes apply to offenses committed on or after the bill's effective date.
HR 4922, the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act of 2025 (DC CRIMES Act), modifies youth offender definitions and creates public transparency measures. It limits "youth offender" status to individuals 18 or younger (previously 24), removing provisions for 18-24 year olds in sentencing and facility planning. The bill requires the DC Attorney General to establish a public website publishing monthly juvenile crime statistics, including arrest data by age, race, sex, crime type, recidivism rates, and sentencing outcomes - without personally identifiable information. It also prohibits the DC Council from changing existing criminal sentencing laws. These provisions directly affect youth offenders aged 15-18 and DC government operations related to juvenile justice data.
HR 3486, the Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025, increases penalties for certain immigration violations under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It raises the mandatory prison term for unlawful entry (Section 275) from 2 to 5 years and adds new provisions for aliens who commit crimes after entry. For reentry after removal (Section 276), it increases the base penalty to up to 10 years imprisonment, with enhanced penalties of up to 15 years for those with prior drug or violent crime convictions, and mandatory minimums of 10 years or more for those with prior aggravated felonies, multiple removals, or prior convictions for serious crimes. The bill directly affects noncitizens who enter the U.S. illegally or reenter after being removed, with penalties applying to specific categories of prior criminal conduct.
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This act permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Under the act, offenses involving fentanyl-related substances are triggered by the same quantity thresholds and subject to the same penalties as offenses involving fentanyl analogues (e.g., offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum prison term). Additionally, the act establishes a new, alternative registration process for certain schedule I research. The act also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration. Finally, the act expresses the sense that Congress agrees with the interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act in United States v. McCray , a 2018 case decided by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. In that case, the court held that butyryl fentanyl, a controlled substance, can be considered an analogue of fentanyl even though, under the Controlled Substances Act, the term controlled substance analogue specifically excludes a controlled substance.
HR 875 amends immigration law to make non-citizens with DUI convictions inadmissible (preventing entry) and deportable (requiring removal after entry). It applies to any conviction for driving while intoxicated or impaired under state, tribal, or local law, regardless of whether the offense is classified as a misdemeanor or felony. The bill directly affects non-citizens convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including impairment from other substances. This policy change expands immigration consequences for DUI offenses beyond current standards.
HR 2096, the "Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act," aims to address rising crime in Washington, D.C., by reversing specific District of Columbia police policies. It directly affects Metropolitan Police Department officers and civilian employees by restoring two key provisions: (1) the right for officers to negotiate discipline matters through collective bargaining, and (2) the statute of limitations for claims against police personnel. The bill repeals related sections of the 2022 D.C. Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, which had previously limited these rights. These changes are intended to improve police recruitment and retention amid staffing shortages and rising crime rates.
HR 35, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, creates a new federal crime for operating a motor vehicle while intentionally fleeing U.S. Border Patrol agents or assisting law enforcement officers within 100 miles of the U.S. border. It imposes penalties of up to 2 years in prison for the basic offense, 5-20 years if serious injury occurs, and 10 years to life if death results. The bill also makes individuals convicted of this crime inadmissible to the U.S., deportable, and ineligible for immigration relief like asylum. Additionally, it requires annual reports from the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary detailing arrests, charges, and penalties related to this offense.
