H.R. 2: Secure the Border Act of 2023

Bill · 118th Congress (2023–2024). Passed House, 11 May 2023. Introduced 2 May 2023.

Official title: To secure the borders of the United States, and for other purposes.

Vote results

House, 11 May 2023: Passed, 219 Yea, 213 Nay, 0 Present, 3 Not voting. The House’s roll call
President: Not presented to the President.

How each member voted

House

Yea (219): Harold Rogers (R-KY-5); Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4); Ken Calvert (R-CA-41); Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3); Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4); Kay Granger (R-TX-12); Michael K. Simpson (R-ID-2); Pete Sessions (R-TX-17); Sam Graves (R-MO-6); Joe Wilson (R-SC-2); Michael C. Burgess (R-TX-26); John R. Carter (R-TX-31); Tom Cole (R-OK-4); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26); Mike Rogers (R-AL-3); Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10); Darrell Issa (R-CA-48); Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5); Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10); Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10); Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5); Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Jim Jordan (R-OH-4); Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5); Adrian Smith (R-NE-3); Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5); Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1); Steve Scalise (R-LA-1); Tim Walberg (R-MI-5); Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2); Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3); Tom McClintock (R-CA-5); Bill Posey (R-FL-8); Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15); Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8); Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1); Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4); Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3); Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN-3); Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-9); H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9); Andy Harris (R-MD-1); Bill Huizenga (R-MI-4); Mike Kelly (R-PA-16); David Schweikert (R-AZ-1); Austin Scott (R-GA-8); Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Steve Womack (R-AR-3); Mark E. Amodei (R-NV-2); Andy Barr (R-KY-6); Richard Hudson (R-NC-9); David P. Joyce (R-OH-14); Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1); Scott Perry (R-PA-10); Ann Wagner (R-MO-2); Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX-14); Brad R. Wenstrup (R-OH-2); Roger Williams (R-TX-25); Jason Smith (R-MO-8); Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12); Brian Babin (R-TX-36); Mike Bost (R-IL-12); Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1); Tom Emmer (R-MN-6); Garret Graves (R-LA-6); Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6); J. French Hill (R-AR-2); Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11); John R. Moolenaar (R-MI-2); Alexander X. Mooney (R-WV-2); Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4); Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21); Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4); David G. Valadao (R-CA-22); Trent Kelly (R-MS-1); Darin LaHood (R-IL-16); Warren Davidson (R-OH-8); James Comer (R-KY-1); Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19); Don Bacon (R-NE-2); Jim Banks (R-IN-3); Jack Bergman (R-MI-1); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5); Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2); A. Drew Ferguson IV (R-GA-3); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Clay Higgins (R-LA-3); Mike Johnson (R-LA-4); David Kustoff (R-TN-8); Brian J. Mast (R-FL-21); John H. Rutherford (R-FL-5); Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Ron Estes (R-KS-4); Ralph Norman (R-SC-5); John R. Curtis (R-UT-3); Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-8); Michael Cloud (R-TX-27); Troy Balderson (R-OH-12); Kevin Hern (R-OK-1); James R. Baird (R-IN-4); Tim Burchett (R-TN-2); Ben Cline (R-VA-6); Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2); Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1); Lance Gooden (R-TX-5); Mark E. Green (R-TN-7); Michael Guest (R-MS-3); Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL); John Joyce (R-PA-13); Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9); Carol D. Miller (R-WV-1); Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14); John W. Rose (R-TN-6); Chip Roy (R-TX-21); Pete Stauber (R-MN-8); Bryan Steil (R-WI-1); W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17); William R. Timmons IV (R-SC-4); Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2); Michael Waltz (R-FL-6); Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24); Dan Bishop (R-NC-8); Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC-3); Mike Garcia (R-CA-27); Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI-7); Ryan K. Zinke (R-MT-1); Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2); Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK-5); Lauren Boebert (R-CO-3); Kat Cammack (R-FL-3); Jerry L. Carl (R-AL-1); Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA-9); Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Pat Fallon (R-TX-4); Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4); Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7); Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5); Scott Franklin (R-FL-18); Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2); Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-28); Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23); Bob Good (R-VA-5); Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14); Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1); Ashley Hinson (R-IA-2); Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13); Young Kim (R-CA-40); Jake LaTurner (R-KS-2); Nancy Mace (R-SC-1); Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11); Tracey Mann (R-KS-1); Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-9); Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1); Barry Moore (R-AL-2); Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1); Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22); Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23); Burgess Owens (R-UT-4); August Pfluger (R-TX-11); Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr. (R-MT-2); Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Victoria Spartz (R-IN-5); Michelle Steel (R-CA-45); Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24); Julia Letlow (R-LA-5); Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6); Mike Carey (R-OH-15); Mike Flood (R-NE-1); Brad Finstad (R-MN-1); Rudy Yakym III (R-IN-2); Mark Alford (R-MO-4); Aaron Bean (R-FL-4); Josh Brecheen (R-OK-2); Eric Burlison (R-MO-7); Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5); Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6); Mike Collins (R-GA-10); Elijah Crane (R-AZ-2); Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-4); Monica De La Cruz (R-TX-15); Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11); Mike Ezell (R-MS-4); Russell Fry (R-SC-7); Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY-AL); Erin Houchin (R-IN-9); Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38); John James (R-MI-10); Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-7); Jennifer A. Kiggans (R-VA-2); Kevin Kiley (R-CA-3); Nick LaLota (R-NY-1); Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY-23); Michael Lawler (R-NY-17); Laurel M. Lee (R-FL-15); Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13); Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-8); Richard McCormick (R-GA-6); Max L. Miller (R-OH-7); Cory Mills (R-FL-7); Marcus J. Molinaro (R-NY-19); Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1); Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3); Andrew Ogles (R-TN-5); Keith Self (R-TX-3); Dale W. Strong (R-AL-5); Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3); Brandon Williams (R-NY-22); Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20); Bill Johnson (R-OH-6); Chris Stewart (R-UT-2); Ken Buck (R-CO-4); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1); Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8); Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL); George Santos (R-NY-3).

Nay (213): Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5); Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9); Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6); Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1); Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3); Maxine Waters (D-CA-43); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2); James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6); Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-16); Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3); Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2); Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18); Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3); Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7); James P. McGovern (D-MA-2); Brad Sherman (D-CA-32); Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-5); Barbara Lee (D-CA-12); John B. Larson (D-CT-1); Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-31); Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL-9); Mike Thompson (D-CA-4); Rick Larsen (D-WA-2); Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8); Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-7); C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2); David Scott (D-GA-13); Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38); Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5); Jim Costa (D-CA-21); Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Al Green (D-TX-9); Gwen Moore (D-WI-4); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25); Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-7); Kathy Castor (D-FL-14); Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9); Steve Cohen (D-TN-9); Joe Courtney (D-CT-2); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4); John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-3); André Carson (D-IN-7); Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11); James A. Himes (D-CT-4); Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Mike Quigley (D-IL-5); Judy Chu (D-CA-28); John Garamendi (D-CA-8); Bill Foster (D-IL-11); William R. Keating (D-MA-9); Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7); Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24); Dina Titus (D-NV-1); Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-7); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1); Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-1); Thomas Massie (R-KY-4); Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Ami Bera (D-CA-6); Julia Brownley (D-CA-26); Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8); Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20); Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29); Lois Frankel (D-FL-22); Jared Huffman (D-CA-2); Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8); Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI-8); Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6); Ann M. Kuster (D-NH-2); Grace Meng (D-NY-6); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-50); Mark Pocan (D-WI-2); Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25); Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14); Mark Takano (D-CA-39); Juan Vargas (D-CA-52); Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33); Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2); Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5); Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12); Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1); Pete Aguilar (D-CA-33); Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8); Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2); Ed Case (D-HI-1); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10); Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6); Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-3); Ted Lieu (D-CA-36); Seth Moulton (D-MA-6); Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10); Dwight Evans (D-PA-3); Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL); Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24); J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5); Steven Horsford (D-NV-4); Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7); Ro Khanna (D-CA-17); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8); Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19); Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8); Darren Soto (D-FL-9); Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34); Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY-25); Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5); Susan Wild (D-PA-7); Colin Z. Allred (D-TX-32); Sean Casten (D-IL-6); Angie Craig (D-MN-2); Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Sharice Davids (D-KS-3); Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4); Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7); Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4); Jared F. Golden (D-ME-2); Josh Harder (D-CA-9); Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5); Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6); Susie Lee (D-NV-3); Mike Levin (D-CA-49); Lucy McBath (D-GA-7); Joe Neguse (D-CO-2); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14); Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5); Chris Pappas (D-NH-1); Dean Phillips (D-MN-3); Katie Porter (D-CA-47); Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7); Kim Schrier (D-WA-8); Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11); Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-7); Abigail Davis Spanberger (D-VA-7); Greg Stanton (D-AZ-4); Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12); Lori Trahan (D-MA-3); David J. Trone (D-MD-6); Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14); Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10); Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4); Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16); Cori Bush (D-MO-1); Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51); Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3); Kathy E. Manning (D-NC-6); Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN-1); Deborah K. Ross (D-NC-2); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15); Nikema Williams (D-GA-5); Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2); Melanie A. Stansbury (D-NM-1); Shontel M. Brown (D-OH-11); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK-AL); Patrick Ryan (D-NY-18); Becca Balint (D-VT-AL); Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13); Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-8); Greg Casar (D-TX-35); Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30); Donald G. Davis (D-NC-1); Christopher R. Deluzio (D-PA-17); John S. Duarte (R-CA-13); Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC-4); Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10); Robert Garcia (D-CA-42); Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3); Daniel S. Goldman (D-NY-10); Val T. Hoyle (D-OR-4); Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4); Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-1); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37); Greg Landsman (D-OH-1); Summer L. Lee (D-PA-12); Seth Magaziner (D-RI-2); Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3); Robert Menendez (D-NJ-8); Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15); Wiley Nickel (D-NC-13); Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7); Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3); Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6); Hillary J. Scholten (D-MI-3); Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17); Emilia Strong Sykes (D-OH-13); Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13); Jill N. Tokuda (D-HI-2); Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-2); Jennifer L. McClellan (D-VA-4); Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18); Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9); Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-30); Brian Higgins (D-NY-26); David N. Cicilline (D-RI-1); Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10); Andy Kim (D-NJ-3); Jeff Jackson (D-NC-14).

Not voting (3): Diana DeGette (D-CO-1); Greg Pence (R-IN-6); Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23).

Not in office (10): Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-3); Gabe Amo (D-RI-1); Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2); Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY-26); Vince Fong (R-CA-20); Michael A. Rulli (R-OH-6); Greg Lopez (R-CO-4); LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10); Erica Lee Carter (D-TX-18); Tony Wied (R-WI-8).

Summary

Main subject: Changes immigration law and Department of Homeland Security border operations, covering border barrier construction and Customs and Border Protection requirements, asylum eligibility, expedited removal and detention, immigration parole, and employment eligibility verification. Division A, Sec. 103, Division B, Sec. 101, Sec. 201, Sec. 701, Sec. 801

Its core areas: Border wall and barrier construction; Customs and Border Protection staffing, technology and operations; Asylum eligibility and procedures; Expedited removal, detention and return to contiguous territory; Immigration parole authority; Penalties for unlawful entry and visa overstays; Employer employment eligibility verification system.

Unexpected Items: 30 provisions

These provisions fall outside the bill’s main subject or apply narrowly. This describes the text; it is not a judgment.

Not related to the bill’s main subject (11)

Sec. 114: U.S. Customs and Border Protection spiritual readiness: Requires an annual report for five years on the availability and use of chaplains, prayer groups, houses of worship, and other spiritual resources for CBP members who identify as religiously affiliated and are at risk of suicide.
Sec. 120: Prohibited identification documents at airport security checkpoints; notification to immigration agencies: Bars the Transportation Security Administration from accepting certain listed immigration forms as proof of identification at airport checkpoints, requires notice to immigration agencies, and requires biometric collection from certain travelers entering airport sterile areas.
Sec. 121: Prohibition against any COVID–19 vaccine mandate or adverse action against DHS employees: Bars the Secretary from issuing a COVID–19 vaccine mandate without express authorization from Congress, bars adverse action against Department employees based solely on refusal of the vaccine, and requires a report on employees who left because of the mandate.
Sec. 123: Report on Mexican drug cartels: Requires a commissioned report containing a national strategy on Mexican drug cartels, a determination on whether a designation should be established for them, and information on their actions that cause harm to the United States.
Sec. 124: GAO study on costs incurred by States to secure the southwest border: Requires a Comptroller General study of costs individual States incurred in support of the Federal mission to secure the southwest border, and of the feasibility of a program to reimburse States for those costs.
Sec. 125: Report by Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security: Requires an annual Inspector General report for five years on the economic and security impact of mass migration on southwest border municipalities and States, including costs to law enforcement, school districts, healthcare providers, and farmers and ranchers.
Sec. 301: United States policy regarding Western Hemisphere cooperation on immigration and asylum: States a policy of entering agreements with Western Hemisphere countries on immigration and of directing humanitarian and development assistance toward programs shown to reduce illegal immigration flows.
Sec. 302: Negotiations by Secretary of State: Directs the Secretary of State to seek agreements with Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and other countries on asylum processing, detention and repatriation, with minimum terms for each country.
Sec. 303: Mandatory briefings on United States efforts to address the border crisis: Requires the Secretary of State to give in-person briefings every 90 days to foreign affairs committees on diplomatic efforts and foreign assistance related to migration until the Secretary certifies flows have subsided to a manageable rate.
Sec. 503: Special immigrant juvenile status for immigrants unable to reunite with either parent: Amends the special immigrant juvenile status definition by removing the parental reunification-viability requirement and barring status if reunification with any one parent or guardian is not precluded by abuse, neglect or abandonment.
Sec. 814: Agriculture workforce study: Requires DHS to report within 36 months on the agricultural workforce, wage growth, labor costs and mechanization, with recommendations for agricultural employers, including H-2A reform.

Funds a specific named project or event (4)

Division A, Sec. 110: Operation Stonegarden: Establishes a grant program named "Operation Stonegarden" for eligible law enforcement agencies and authorizes $110,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 for those grants. ($110,000,000)
Sec. 112: Eradication of carrizo cane and salt cedar: Requires the Secretary to hire contractors to eradicate carrizo cane and salt cedar along the Rio Grande River that impedes border security operations by September 30, 2027, and authorizes $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. ($7,000,000)
Sec. 126: Offsetting authorizations of appropriations: Provides that no funds are authorized for named Department programs (Alternatives to Detention Case Management Pilot Program, Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, electric vehicles, St. Elizabeths campus construction, Shelter Services Program) and authorizes $216,000,000 for Intelligence, Analysis, and Situational Awareness. ($216,000,000)
Sec. 202: Operational detention facilities: Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to reopen or restore ICE detention facilities, including five specifically listed facilities, by September 30, 2023.

Exception or delay for a subset (12)

Division A, Sec. 108: Anti-Border Corruption Act reauthorization: Requires the CBP Commissioner to waive a hiring requirement (which the section links to the polygraph examination) for listed groups of applicants: State or local law enforcement officers, Federal law enforcement officers, and members of the Armed Forces or veterans who meet stated criteria, until personnel levels are certified as met.
Division B, Sec. 106: Asylum fees: Sets an asylum application fee of not less than $50, capped at the cost of adjudication, and exempts unaccompanied alien children who file asylum applications in section 240 proceedings from that fee. ($50)
Division B, Sec. 111: Requirement for procedures relating to certain asylum applications: Requires the Attorney General, within 30 days, to establish procedures to expedite asylum adjudication only for aliens in removal proceedings who are nationals of Western Hemisphere countries subject to sanctions under three listed authorities.
Sec. 401: Clarification of standards for family detention: Provides that detention of accompanied alien children is governed by listed Immigration and Nationality Act sections notwithstanding consent decrees or settlement agreements, requires family detention for certain misdemeanor entrants, and bars State licensing requirements for facilities holding children.
Sec. 502: Repatriation of unaccompanied alien children: Changes rules for unaccompanied alien children so those from non-contiguous countries are treated under the same repatriation rules, adds a 14-day immigration judge hearing, and requires sponsor information to be given to DHS.
Sec. 701: Immigration parole reform: Rewrites parole authority to limit it to listed purposes, with separate parole provisions for spouses and children of active-duty military members and for Cuban nationals under a 1994 migration communiqué.
Sec. 702: Implementation: Sets the parole title to take effect 30 days after enactment, with exceptions for earlier-filed applications, one subparagraph taking effect on enactment, and aliens paroled before January 1, 2023.
Sec. 801: Employment eligibility verification process: Rewrites the employment eligibility verification process with start dates staggered by employer size and a 36-month delayed start for agricultural labor or services.
Sec. 815: Sense of Congress on further implementation: States the sense of Congress that DHS should consider and address adverse impact on the agricultural workforce, operations and food security when implementing E-Verify.
Division B, Sec. 108: Firm resettlement: Defines firm resettlement for asylum purposes and excludes from the one-year residence test time spent in Mexico by certain non-Mexican aliens who were returned or subject to metering.
Division B, Sec. 104: Exceptions: Rewrites the asylum eligibility bars and includes exceptions to them for aliens convicted of certain domestic violence offenses who meet the criteria of section 237(a)(7)(A), and for a single offense of possessing 30 grams or less of marijuana.
Sec. 807: Penalties: Raises civil and criminal penalties for employer verification violations and adds a provision allowing the penalty to be waived or reduced for violators who show good faith. It also adds a business-size mitigation factor, debarment authority, and a State and local complaint office.

Delays or blocks a specific regulation (1)

Sec. 816: Repealing regulations: Provides that two named H-2A agricultural worker rules have no force or effect and may not be reissued in substantially the same form.

Changes a government process (1)

Sec. 703: Cause of action: Gives any person, State or local government with financial harm above $1,000 from federal failure to apply the parole title standing to sue the Federal Government. ($1,000)

Condition defined by a narrow set of criteria (1)

Sec. 115: Restrictions on funding: Provides that no funds are authorized to be appropriated to the Department for disbursement to nongovernmental organizations that facilitate unlawful activity, or that provide transportation, lodging, or immigration legal services to inadmissible aliens who enter after enactment.

What it does

Division A, Sec. 102: Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, within seven days of enactment, to resume all border wall construction activities along the border with Mexico that were underway or being planned before January 20, 2021.
Division A, Sec. 103: Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to require a border wall along not fewer than 900 miles of the southwest border, and requires the Secretary to waive all legal requirements necessary for expeditious construction.
Division A, Sec. 107: Requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire, train and assign Border Patrol agents to maintain an active duty presence of not fewer than 22,000 full-time equivalent agents by September 30, 2025.
Division B, Sec. 101: Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make an alien ineligible to apply for asylum if the alien transited through at least one other country on the way to the United States, with listed exceptions such as a final denial of protection in a transit country.
Division B, Sec. 102: Changes the credible fear standard so an asylum officer must find the alien more likely than not could establish asylum eligibility, replacing the existing "significant possibility" wording.
Division B, Sec. 103: Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act so that an alien may apply for asylum only if the alien has arrived in the United States at a port of entry.
Sec. 201: Bars release, including by parole, of certain aliens in expedited removal or detention other than to be removed or returned, requires return to contiguous foreign territory if the Secretary cannot detain or remove them, and lets a State attorney general sue for injunctive relief.
Sec. 701: Rewrites the parole authority in the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow parole only case by case and not by class, for listed urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, generally for the shorter of the time needed or 1 year.
Sec. 601: Raises the civil fine for unlawful entry to not less than $500 and not more than $1,000, and creates a violation, with fines or imprisonment, for a nonimmigrant who fails for an aggregate of 10 days or more to maintain status or comply with its conditions.
Sec. 801: Requires employers to use an electronic employment eligibility verification system for new hires, starting 6 months after enactment for employers with 10,000 or more employees and later for smaller employers and for agricultural labor.

Written automatically from the official text by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model. Written 2 Oct 2026 and published after the automatic checks, without a person reading it first. Every line names the section it came from.