Immigration

HR 2672, the Religious Workforce Protection Act, extends temporary nonimmigrant status for religious workers whose applications for permanent residency (green cards) are delayed due to visa backlogs. It directly affects religious workers (such as pastors or missionaries) who are principal or derivative beneficiaries of pending immigrant petitions under specific visa categories, allowing them to maintain their work status beyond the usual 5-year limit while their green card applications are processed. Key provisions include granting extensions until a final decision is made on their adjustment of status application, modifying rules to allow limited job flexibility for these workers, and exempting them from a 1-year foreign residence requirement if they left the U.S. due to the prior 5-year cap. The bill aims to prevent religious workers from losing their legal status during lengthy immigration processing.

Legal Workforce Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after and to replace the E-Verify system, which allows employers and recruiters to verify the immigration status of individuals. The bill also mandates the use of such a system, where currently only some employers, such as those with federal contracts, are required to use E-Verify. The bill specifies documents that can establish an individual's identity and employment authorization. During the period starting when a job offer is made until three business days after hiring, the individual must attest to his or her employment authorization, and the employer or recruiter must attest that it has examined the individual's required documents. Employers shall reverify certain types of employees who were not previously verified using E-Verify. The Social Security Administration shall notify employees if their Social Security number has been used multiple times in an unusual manner. DHS shall establish programs for blocking and suspending misused numbers. Employers that are required to use the verification system shall not be liable for any employment-related action based on a good-faith reliance on the system. The bill establishes a phased-in participation deadline for different sizes and categories of employers, including agricultural employers. The bill increases civil penalties related to hiring individuals without work authorization. It also preempts state laws relating to hiring and employment eligibility verification, but states may use their authority of business licensing to penalize employers for failing to comply with the bill's provisions.

S 2111, the American Students First Act of 2025, limits foreign student enrollment at U.S. universities participating in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. It requires universities to cap nonimmigrant students (on F and M visas) at 10% of their total student population each academic year. Universities may request a waiver from the President or Homeland Security Secretary to increase this cap to 15% for national security reasons or U.S. interests. This bill directly affects all U.S. universities certified under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program by altering their foreign student enrollment rules.

This bill would amend the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization and prohibit its operations within the United States. It would require the President to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization under immigration law and impose new visa restrictions, including immediate revocation of current visas, for individuals identified as members. The bill mandates annual reports from the Secretary of State identifying Muslim Brotherhood branches worldwide and determining which should be designated as terrorist organizations under existing laws. These provisions would directly affect Muslim Brotherhood members, branches, and affiliated organizations seeking entry to or operating within the United States.

HR 4200, the End DED Act, prohibits federal funding for the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program, which provides temporary immigration protections to individuals from specific countries. It directly affects approximately 100,000 people currently covered under DED from nine nations (including Haiti, El Salvador, and Venezuela), who would lose their work authorization and travel privileges if the program is defunded. The bill’s key provision bans all federal funds from being used to implement or administer DED or any successor program. This addresses congressional concerns that DED - a policy created solely by executive action without statutory authority - undermines Congress’s constitutional power over immigration, which it delegated to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) instead.

Security And Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2025 or SAFE for America Act of 2025 This bill eliminates the diversity visa program. This program provides up to 55,000 visas annually to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

This bill grants the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to temporarily suspend entry of certain individuals at U.S. borders to achieve "operational control" (defined as effective border management). It specifically applies to people seeking entry without proper documentation who would be denied entry under current law (e.g., lacking visas or asylum eligibility). The Secretary must block entry if they cannot detain or process these individuals as required by existing immigration law. States may also sue the government if they believe border security rules are violated.

HR 5670, the Protecting America’s Roads Act, amends federal commercial driver’s license (CDL) requirements to strengthen verification of applicant eligibility. It directly affects non-citizen applicants for CDLs or commercial learner’s permits by requiring proof of lawful presence (via the federal SAVE system), proof of state residence, and in-person processing for all non-citizen license actions. Key provisions include denying CDLs to non-residents, expiring non-citizen licenses based on immigration status or after one year, and terminating foreign license reciprocity agreements within six months of enactment. The bill also mandates states to downgrade or revoke non-citizen licenses if eligibility lapses and authorizes immigration agencies to identify unauthorized commercial drivers.

HRES 494 is a symbolic House resolution condemning violent protests in Los Angeles on June 6, 2025, which included assaults on law enforcement, vandalism of federal property, and destruction of personal property. It specifically targets Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, accusing them of obstructing federal immigration enforcement through sanctuary policies and failing to condemn the violence. The resolution affirms the federal government's duty to enforce immigration laws and supports prosecuting individuals who commit violence against law enforcement. It does not create new laws or policies but expresses formal disapproval of the officials' actions and the rioters' conduct.

HR 7439 establishes new limits on when federal law enforcement officers can use deadly force, directly affecting all federal officers (including immigration officers) under the law. The bill prohibits using deadly force solely to prevent a suspect's escape, disable a moving vehicle, or address threats to property or self-harm. It requires officers to give a verbal warning before using deadly force when safe, bans warning shots except in federal prisons, and mandates new training on avoiding deadly force. These provisions aim to clarify and restrict the circumstances under which deadly force may be justified during federal law enforcement operations.