Legislative Bulletin

 

 

Good afternoon, 

Welcome to the National Immigration Forum's weekly bulletin. Every Friday, our policy team rounds up key developments around immigration policy in Washington, D.C., and across the country. The bulletin includes items on the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, as well as some coverage at the state and local levels.  

You can find the online version of the bulletin here: [link removed] [link removed] 

With hope, 

Nicci 

***

**LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN — Friday, July 18, 2025**

**DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY THIS WEEK** Here, we summarize some of the most important recent developments in immigration policy on the federal, legal, state, and local levels.  

****Federal** **

******Administration Eliminates Bond Access and Dismisses Immigration Judges**** ** On July 8, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a memo [link removed] noting that the departments of Homeland Security and Justice have “revisited its legal position on detention and release authorities,” thereby restricting access to bond hearings for immigrants in ICE custody. Citing the massive funding increase from the recent reconciliation bill [link removed], ICE officials had asked [link removed] the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reconsider longstanding policies allowing many immigrants fighting deportation to be released on bond, arguing that the agency will soon have the capacity to detain them indefinitely. The new policy, which ICE acknowledges [link removed] is “likely to be litigated,” requires all immigrants who entered the U.S. without inspection to be detained for the duration of their deportation proceedings, which can take months or years. While immigrants convicted of murder and other serious crimes were already subject to mandatory detention and Congress had expanded [link removed] the requirement this year, the new policy extends to longtime residents who have not been convicted of serious offenses. 

Moreover, as more individuals face indefinite detention, fewer judges are available to process their cases. On July 11, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) dismissed [link removed] an additional 17 immigration judges. With about 600 judges now handling a massive backlog [link removed]. of roughly 3.5 million cases, immigration lawyers argue [link removed] the firings will worsen delays, as it can take up to a year to recruit, hire, and train new immigration court judges. Despite reconciliation funding [link removed] to raise the number of judges to 800 and hire additional staff, the union which represents immigration judges reports that over 103 judges have either been fired or voluntarily left since the administration took office.  

******Third-Country Deportations Expand Globally as Notice Periods Shrink to Hours**** ** The Trump administration deported [link removed] five individuals to the Kingdom of Eswatini on July 15, marking the first deportations to the African nation in the Trump administration’s expanding third-country removal program. The deportations follow the Supreme Court's June decision [link removed] allowing the practice to resume while the case is litigated. The men, originally from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, and Yemen, are now being held in solitary confinement in Eswatini. Their removal was conducted under a July 9 memo [link removed] from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons that outlines streamlined procedures for deporting individuals to third-countries, even if  they have no ties, when their home nations refuse repatriation. The memo allows [link removed] deportations in as little as six hours during “exigent circumstances” and permits removals to any partner country that pledges not to torture individuals “without the need for further procedures.” 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials defended [link removed] the deportations to Eswatini despite concerns about the country's poor human rights record [link removed], citing the men's criminal records. Human rights advocates warn [link removed] that the accelerated timeline and expanding scope of third-country deportations prevent individuals from accessing due process [link removed] and increase abuse risks in receiving countries. The administration is actively recruiting [link removed] additional African nations as deportation partners, with officials pressuring [link removed] governments to accept deportees from other regions as the practice scales beyond its previous use in El Salvador and South Sudan. 

******Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Immigration Reform Legislation**** ** On July 15, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-7) and a group of bipartisan [link removed] legislators  introduced [link removed]  the DIGNITY Act of 2025 [link removed], marking the third iteration of legislation first introduced in 2022. The bill would allow undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. since December 31, 2020 to apply for a seven-year  legal status, clearing them to work and travel after passing background checks and paying back taxes. “The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work,"said Rep. Salazar, emphasizing "no amnesty, no handouts, no citizenship.” The legislation is funded through restitution payments and application fees, requiring no taxpayer dollars. Republican co-sponsors emphasized economic concerns driving the legislation, with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) citing employer struggles to fill jobs and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA-13) arguing the bill will “strengthen our economy.” 

The bill's introduction coincides with notable shifts in public opinion on immigration policy. Gallup data [link removed] show that Americans have grown markedly more positive toward immigration over the past year, with the share wanting immigration reduced dropping from 55% in 2024 to 30% today, while a record-high 79% of U.S. adults now say immigration is a good thing for the country. These shifts reverse a four-year trend of rising concern about immigration that began in 2021 and reflect changes among all major party groups. The data reveal that public concerns about immigration have moderated significantly from peak levels, with Americans increasingly distinguishing between border security enforcement and the status of long-term residents already integrated into communities and the workforce. 

Gallup polling [link removed] also indicates that the “surge” in Americans naming immigration as a top national problem has substantially decreased, while CBS News polling [link removed] shows growing majorities in both parties now support a path to legal status for long-term undocumented residents and enhanced worker protections. The data reveal that public concerns about immigration have evolved over the course of the second Trump administration. 

****Legal** **

******Federal Judge Orders Administration to Halt "Roving"Immigration Raids in Los Angeles**** ** On July 11, U.S. District Judge Frimpong, ruled [link removed] that the Trump administration’s  immigration arrests in Los Angeles and their denial of detainees’ right to consult with a lawyer violated the Constitution. As a result, she issued two temporary restraining orders that apply [link removed] in Los Angeles and six other California counties. One order [link removed] prohibits immigration agents from stopping and detaining individuals based solely on one or more of the following factors: race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, being at a particular location, or the type of work they perform. The ruling indicates these are impermissible factors that cannot be the basis for an immigration agent’s reasonable suspicion [link removed] —the legal bar necessary to detain someone. Judge Frimpong rejected [link removed] the government’s argument that it was not relying on race but a “totality of circumstances” approach to stopping individuals, writing that the government’s reliance on factors like an individual’s occupation, like as a car wash attendant or day laborer, are “no more indicative of illegal presence in the country than of legal presence.” The other order required the federal government to provide detainees with access [link removed] to legal counsel.  

The government quickly appealed [link removed] Judge Frimpong’s decision, asking an appeals court to allow their unrestricted raids across Southern California to continue. The government argued that her orders amounted to “judicial takeover,” and were “single-handedly ‘restructur[ing] the operations’ of federal immigration enforcement. Legal experts state that the government’s arguments are unorthodox [link removed] and are unlikely [link removed] to succeed.   

Separately, amid the legal setback, the Department of Defense announced [link removed] on July 15 that it would recall 2,000 of the 4,000 National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests last month.  

******Court Establishes Case-by-Case Review Process for Refugee Resettlement**** ** A federal district court in Washington has ordered [link removed] the administration to restart refugee processing and create a case-by-case review system for thousands of refugees whose travel to the U.S. was cancelled after December 1, 2024. The ruling in

**Pacito v. Trump**comes as the case's namesake plaintiff [link removed], a Congolese refugee who sold all his belongings while waiting at a transit center before his flights were cancelled, arrived in North Carolina on July 10 under a court order exempting him from the administration's refugee ban. “I feel like I'm blessed. I was actually hopeless,” Pacito said upon arrival, adding that “the minute the court said they're going to process my case again, I was reborn.” 

The broader court framework [link removed] requires the government to identify and contact all “review-eligible” refugees by July 21 and notify them of relief procedures by July 28. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson has been appointed as a neutral arbiter to recommend rulings on individual reliance claims. Three categories received a rebuttable presumption of protection: refugees whose travel was imminent on January 20, unaccompanied refugee minors, and Afghan evacuees held at Camp As Sayliyah. The ruling arrives as the State Department implements an $800 million reduction [link removed] in refugee assistance and deep staff cuts [link removed], which could complicate compliance with the court's tight deadlines.  

The decision also comes as an appellate court has paused [link removed] the administration's effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) [link removed] protections for Afghan nationals until July 21, highlighting broader judicial scrutiny of the administration's actions targeting humanitarian pathways. 

BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED It’s challenging to keep up with the deluge of proposed legislation in the 119th Congress. So, every week, we round up federal legislative proposals that have recently been introduced and that are relevant to immigration policy. 

**S.2311** [link removed] 

**State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act** 

The bill would require any state to reimburse the federal government for costs incurred when federal military forces are deployed in response to civil disturbances or security threats caused by the state's noncooperation federal immigration enforcement. This is the companion bill to

****H.R.4483. [link removed] 

Sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) (1 [link removed] cosponsor) 

07/16/2025 Introduced by Sen. Blackburn 

07/16/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

**S.2297** [link removed] 

**Preventing Intelligence Gathering from Foreign Adversaries Act** 

The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include subjection to a foreign intelligence security law as a ground of inadmissibility and deportability. 

Sponsored by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) (0 cosponsors) 

07/16/2025 Introduced by Sen. Scott 

07/16/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

**S.2274** [link removed] 

**The Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act** 

The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to specify that no child is eligible for birthright citizenship if their parents are unlawfully present in the U.S., present in the U.S. for diplomatic purposes, or engaged in a hostile operation against the U.S. 

Sponsored by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) (3 [link removed] cosponsors) 

07/15/2025 Introduced by Sen. Cotton 

07/15/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

**S.2269** [link removed] 

**Protect and Respect ICE Act** 

The bill would double federal penalties for assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer or employee of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) (0 cosponsors) 

07/14/2025 Introduced by Sen. Schmitt 

07/14/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

**H.R.4393** [link removed] 

**DIGNITY Act of 2025** 

The bill would strengthen border security, provide undocumented individuals with an opportunity to obtain legal status if they meet certain requirements, and update aspects of the U.S. legal immigration system. The Forum's summary is linked here [link removed]. 

Sponsored by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) (21 [link removed] cosponsors) 

07/15/2025 Introduced by Rep. Salazar 

07/15/2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Ways and Means, Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Armed Services 

**H.R.4542** [link removed] 

**No Cages in the Everglades Act** 

The bill would prohibit the operation and funding of an immigration detention facility in the Everglades and require more enhanced access, public data, and Congressional oversight in such facilities. 

Sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25) (7 [link removed] cosponsors) 

07/17/2025 Introduced by Rep. Wasserman Schultz 

07/17/2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security 

**H.R.4483** [link removed] 

**State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act** 

This is the companion bill to S.2311. [link removed] 

Sponsored by Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19) (3 [link removed] cosponsors) 

07/17/2025 Introduced by Rep. Arrington 

07/17/2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Armed Services 

**H.R.4456** [link removed] 

**Stop ICE from Kidnapping US Citizens Act ** 

The bill would prohibit the use of federal funds made available to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining U.S. citizens or transporting such citizens outside the U.S. during civil immigration enforcement activities. 

Sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7) (32 [link removed] cosponsors) 

07/16/2025 Introduced by Rep. Jayapal 

07/16/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary 

**H.R.4384** [link removed] 

**Excluding Illegal Aliens from Medicaid Act** 

The bill would require immediate changes to Medicaid relating to noncitizen eligibility and payments to Medicaid expansion states that provide health care to certain noncitizens. This is the companion bill to S.2244. [link removed] 

Sponsored by Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17) (0 cosponsors) 

07/14/2025 Introduced by Rep. Steube 

07/14/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce 

LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR The U.S. Senate will be in session Monday, July 21, through Friday, July 25, while the House of Representatives will meet Monday, July 21, through Thursday, July 24. 

UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS Here, we round up congressional hearings and markups happening in the field or in Washington relevant to immigration policy.

**Biden’s Border Betrayal: Criminal Aliens in America** [link removed]  Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET (Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety) 

Location: 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 

Witnesses: TBA* 

**Catch and Release, Lose and Forget: Addressing the Crisis of Unaccompanied Alien Children – Part I** [link removed]  Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET (House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement) 

Location: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 

Witnesses: TBA* 

**GOVERNMENT REPORTS** Reports by bodies such as the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General provide invaluable information on immigration policy and practice. Here, we give brief summaries of new immigration-related reports, with links to the resources themselves in case you want to learn more. 

**Congressional Research Service (CRS); ****Trump v. CASA, Inc. and Nationwide Injunctions During the Second Trump Administration** [link removed]

**; Publicly Released July 16, 2025**   The memo explains that the Supreme Court's June 27, 2025 decision in

**Trump v. CASA, Inc.**and identifies 34 cases where nationwide injunctions were issued between January 20, 2025 and June 27, 2025 during the second Trump Administration. The memo further clarifies that the decision arose from challenges to President Trump's Birthright Citizenship Executive Order and leaves open several avenues for litigants to seek universal relief through Administrative Procedure Act challenges, class actions, and state-led litigation, while Congress considers various legislative proposals to further regulate or limit nationwide injunctions. 

**SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES** The Forum is constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that are particularly relevant this week: 

**The Dignity Act of 2025: Bill Summary** [link removed]  Our bill summary details the main provisions and key takeaways from the newly introduced Dignity Act of 2025. The bill would strengthen border security, provide undocumented individuals with an opportunity to obtain legal status if they meet certain requirements, and update aspects of the U.S. legal immigration system. 

**Fact Sheet: Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti** [link removed]  Thee fact sheet examines the Trump administration's June 27, 2025, decision to terminate Haiti TPS, despite the State Department's own "Do Not Travel"advisory acknowledging ongoing dangerous conditions in the country and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. This termination, which provided just 67 days' notice and was temporarily halted by a federal judge on July 1, threatens to remove productive, taxpaying community members from key U.S. economic sectors. 

**One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Immigration Provisions** [link removed]

** **  Our updated explainer details the immigration provisions of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law by President Trump on July 4. The bill transforms America’s immigration system through significantly increased funding for both border security and interior immigration enforcement, including dramatically expanded detention and deportation operations. Moreover, the reconciliation package introduces fees for immigrants seeking humanitarian protection, imposes a tax on remittances, and restricts federal benefit access for mixed-status families and unauthorized individuals.   

**Explainer: U.S. Immigration Detention and Custody Standards** [link removed]  Our explainer examines how U.S. immigration detention and custody facilities, operated by agencies like ICE, CBP, and ORR are governed by a patchwork of constitutional, statutory, and agency-specific standards. It highlights ongoing challenges such as inadequate oversight, prolonged detentions, and insufficient protections for vulnerable populations, underscoring the need for stronger scrutiny as detention capacity could expand dramatically due to funding included in reconciliation. 

*As of publication (7/18/25 at 1:30PM EST)

**This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the National Immigration Forum, with questions, comments, and suggestions for additional items to be included. Nicci can be reached at****[email protected]** mailto:[email protected]

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