Border Safety and Security Act of 2025

This bill lets the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stop people who are not U.S. citizens from entering at land or sea borders if they don’t have valid entry papers. DHS may do this whenever it decides it’s needed to keep control of the border. DHS must do this during any time it cannot detain these individuals or return them to a neighboring country. State attorneys general can sue DHS in federal court to make sure this rule is followed.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Non-U.S. nationals who try to enter without valid documents.
• What changes: DHS can pause or block their entry to keep “operational control,” and must block entry if it cannot detain or return them. States can take DHS to court to enforce this.
• When it applies: During periods when DHS can’t detain or return such individuals, or whenever DHS decides a suspension is needed to control the border.

In day-to-day terms, this could mean parts of the border are temporarily closed to people arriving without the right papers, especially when detention space or return options are limited.