Immigration (Border Security)

Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment Act or the WISE Act This bill expands eligibility for U nonimmigrant visas (victims of criminal activity) and prohibits immigration enforcement activities in specified areas. Generally, U visas are for victims of specified crimes (e.g., rape, trafficking, or domestic violence) who assist with the investigation or prosecution of the crime. The bill adds hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse as crimes that may qualify a victim for a U visa and removes criteria related to the victim's assistance with the investigation or prosecution of the crime.   Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must provide work authorization to U visa applicants, whereas currently DHS may grant work authorization but is not required to do so. The bill also eliminates the annual numerical cap on U visas.  The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that certain individuals, including U visa applicants and T visa (victims of human trafficking) applicants, shall not be detained while the application is pending. Additionally, the bill provides immigration-related protections, such as by extending the admission period and providing work authorization, to the spouse or child of a nonimmigrant visa holder who subjected that spouse or child to battery or extreme cruelty. Further, the bill prohibits, with some exceptions for exigent circumstances, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection from conducting immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a school, health care facility, place of worship, or other location specified in the bill.

This bill creates a temporary exception to the parole fee for non-citizens (aliens) entering the U.S. for sacred Tribal or religious ceremonies, cultural exchanges, or celebrations. During a two-year period starting from enactment, eligible aliens must undergo a background check, submit a written request to the Secretary of Homeland Security, be enrolled in a tribal cultural program operated by a federally recognized tribe with trust land near the Southwest border, and pay a $200 fee instead of the standard fee. The exception applies only when the Secretary determines the entry would provide a significant public benefit. It directly affects non-citizens seeking to participate in these cultural events and federally recognized tribes operating such programs.

This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to obtain fingerprints from noncitizen children under 14 years old if they suspect the child is a trafficking victim. It also creates a new federal crime for adults (18+) who knowingly use a minor for entry into the U.S. when not a blood relative or guardian, punishable by fines or up to 10 years in prison. The law mandates sharing fingerprints with health officials for unaccompanied children and requires annual reports to Congress and monthly public updates on trafficking apprehensions involving false relative claims. It directly affects children entering the U.S., potential traffickers, and federal agencies handling border security and child welfare.

HR 7363, the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, prohibits U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from using facial recognition, voice recognition, or other biometric surveillance technology for immigration enforcement. It directly affects CBP and ICE officers, including those deputized under Section 287(g), by banning the acquisition, possession, or use of such technology within the U.S. The bill requires immediate deletion of all existing biometric data collected by these agencies within 30 days of enactment and makes illegally obtained data inadmissible in court. Individuals harmed by violations can sue the federal government for damages, while officers violating the law face retraining, suspension, or termination.

HRES 881 is a symbolic resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives condemning recent violent attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel and facilities. It specifically references multiple incidents in 2025, including shootings, assaults, and threats against agents across Texas, Oklahoma, California, Illinois, and other states, citing a DHS-reported 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE personnel. The resolution expresses congressional condemnation of all violence against these officers, thanks them for their service, and honors their role in border security and immigration enforcement. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but formally states the House’s position on these incidents.

Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location except in exigent circumstances, such as the imminent risk of death, violence, or physical harm to any person. Sensitive locations include  health care facilities; schools and school bus stops; places that provide assistance for people such as children, pregnant women, and abuse victims; child care facilities; places that provide disaster or emergency services; places of worship; courthouses and lawyers’ offices; facilities used as polling places; certain labor union facilities; and public assistance offices. The prohibition shall apply to Department of Homeland Security officers and agents, as well as state employees pursuing immigration enforcement actions. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this prohibition (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected individual may move to immediately terminate such a proceeding. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall annually report to Congress about enforcement actions taken at sensitive locations in the preceding year.

The PROTECT Military Families Act (S 3592) creates a new immigration parole program for spouses, parents, children, and widows/widowers of current or former military members. It allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant temporary U.S. entry in one-year increments to eligible family members of active-duty service members, reservists, or honorably discharged veterans. Denials require a joint written justification from three cabinet secretaries (Homeland Security, Defense, and Veterans Affairs) and must be publicly posted with detailed reasoning (excluding personal information). This bill directly affects military families seeking reunification by establishing a structured, transparent process for temporary immigration relief.

The IEIS Act requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other authorized immigration enforcement personnel to visibly display their last name, a unique identifier, agency name, and face during public immigration enforcement activities like stops, arrests, or raids. This applies to officers performing "immigration enforcement functions" but excludes undercover operations, high-risk tactical situations (e.g., active shooter responses), or mandated face coverings. The bill also allows federal agencies to reimburse covered employees - defined as immigration officers and their immediate family members living with them - for privacy-enhancing services (e.g., software masking personal information) up to 100% of costs. It directly affects immigration enforcement staff and their families by mandating transparency during public duties while providing tools to protect their personal data.

Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location except in exigent circumstances, such as the imminent risk of death, violence, or physical harm to any person. Sensitive locations include  health care facilities; schools and school bus stops; places that provide assistance for people such as children, pregnant women, and abuse victims; child care facilities; places that provide disaster or emergency services; places of worship; courthouses and lawyers’ offices; facilities used as polling places; certain labor union facilities; and public assistance offices. The prohibition shall apply to Department of Homeland Security officers and agents, as well as state employees pursuing immigration enforcement actions. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this prohibition (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected individual may move to immediately terminate such a proceeding. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall annually report to Congress about enforcement actions taken at sensitive locations in the preceding year.

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.