This bill creates new grounds for deporting non-citizens who are members of or associated with criminal gangs. It defines a "criminal gang" as a group of five or more people whose primary purpose is committing serious crimes like drug offenses, violence, trafficking, or weapons violations. The Secretary of Homeland Security can designate groups as criminal gangs after consultation with the Attorney General, and these designations make gang members ineligible for asylum, temporary protected status, parole, and other immigration benefits. The bill also establishes procedures for reviewing and revoking these designations, with limited judicial review options.
The Freedom to Cooperate Act (HR 864) amends federal law to prevent states from restricting local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. It prohibits states from banning or limiting government entities from sharing immigration status information, complying with federal requests, or making inquiries about immigration status. The bill also clarifies immigration detainer procedures, requiring probable cause for detainers and setting a 48-96 hour window for transferring custody to federal authorities. It provides legal immunity for state/local law enforcement that complies with detainers, except in cases of bad faith. This directly affects state/local law enforcement agencies and individuals subject to immigration enforcement actions.
HR 1935, the Protecting Military Assets Act of 2025, adds new grounds for denying entry to the U.S. and removing non-citizens who violate military property laws. Specifically, it makes individuals inadmissible if they've been convicted of or admitted to entering military, naval, or Coast Guard property without authorization (per 18 U.S.C. § 1382). It also makes such individuals deportable if already in the U.S. The bill directly affects non-citizens convicted under this specific federal offense, strengthening immigration enforcement for violations at military sites. This is a policy change to existing immigration law, not a new criminal offense.
HR 578, "Sarah’s Law," requires mandatory detention for certain non-citizens (aliens) charged with crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury. It directly affects non-citizens facing such charges and their victims' families. Key provisions mandate that the Department of Homeland Security detain these individuals immediately and notify victims or their closest living relatives (like parents or spouses) about the alien’s identity, immigration status, custody details, and removal efforts. The bill adds specific categories of non-citizens to the mandatory detention list, including those whose visas were revoked or who are deportable for prior immigration violations. This creates a formal process for victim notification while expanding detention requirements under immigration law.
HR 5585, the Equal Detention Standards Act of 2025, requires immigration detention facilities operated under agreements with the Department of Homeland Security to follow the U.S. Marshal Service's existing Federal Performance Based Detention Standards. This applies to any facility where individuals are detained under immigration law, beginning on the bill's enactment date. The law mandates these federal standards be used alongside any existing contract terms for facility operations. It directly affects detention facilities and the individuals held within them by establishing uniform operational requirements. The bill does not create new standards but requires existing federal ones to be applied to immigration detention.
This bill requires the District of Columbia government to stop policies that prevent sharing immigration status information with federal authorities or refusing to comply with federal immigration detainer requests. It directly affects DC government entities, including police and local officials, by mandating cooperation with federal immigration enforcement under specific conditions. Key provisions prohibit DC from restricting the sharing of immigration status data or refusing to honor DHS detainer requests, except when an individual is a victim or witness to a crime. The exception ensures DC can maintain protections for crime victims without violating the bill's requirements.
HR 2090 requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hold any individual encountered at the border in custody until they cross-reference that person's name against the federal terrorist screening database and receive a result. This directly affects all aliens (non-citizens) processed by CBP at U.S. borders. The key mechanism mandates this database check as a mandatory step before releasing an individual, replacing previous procedures. The bill defines the "terrorist screening database" as specified under the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
This bill imposes a hiring freeze on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), prohibiting the use of federal funds to hire new employees or transfer existing federal workers to ICE. The freeze begins upon the bill's enactment and automatically ends when Congress passes a specific law overriding it. It directly affects ICE's staffing capabilities by halting new appointments and transfers using federal funding. The measure is procedural, focusing solely on restricting hiring authority without altering immigration enforcement policies.
The End Solitary Confinement Act would prohibit solitary confinement in all federal prisons, immigration detention facilities, and other federal custody settings, with limited exceptions for emergencies. It requires all incarcerated people to have at least 14 hours per day of out-of-cell interaction in shared spaces, including structured programming, recreation, and social activities. The law establishes a community monitoring body to oversee implementation, creates detailed reporting requirements for facilities, and provides legal remedies for violations. It also incentivizes states to adopt similar standards through federal funding mechanisms, with special protections for vulnerable groups including young people, older adults, people with disabilities, and those with mental health needs.
S 916 prohibits the detention of pregnant, lactating, or postpartum noncitizens in immigration custody, requiring their immediate release except in rare cases involving credible safety threats. It bans all physical restraints during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery, with strict limits on exceptions. The bill mandates access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including prenatal care, labor services, and postpartum support, while requiring facilities to provide medical consent and maintain detailed reporting on detention practices. These provisions apply directly to noncitizens held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities.
