The bill accelerates detention and removal and tightens national-security exceptions to keep certain noncitizens out—potentially improving public safety and reducing case backlogs—while increasing detention, removing a statutory protection for persecution claims, risking family separations, chilling victim reporting, and raising taxpayer costs.
Noncitizens convicted of felonies or violent or sexual offenses will be detained and removed more quickly, which may reduce public safety risks for local communities.
Noncitizens who provided material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations will be ineligible for withholding of removal, reducing avenues for known terrorist affiliates to remain in the U.S.
DHS and immigration courts (and state governments involved in enforcement) will have mandatory detention and expedited procedures for certain categories, which could shorten case processing time and reduce backlog.
People who are noncitizens with prior misdemeanor convictions (including older or minor offenses) may be detained and removed, increasing family separation and economic hardship for children and parents.
Noncitizens with credible fear of persecution lose the option of withholding of removal, increasing the risk that individuals fleeing persecution will be returned to danger.
Victims and other vulnerable people (children under 16, pregnant women, people with disabilities, those over 65) may be less likely to report crimes or cooperate with law enforcement because expedited removal can still apply to those convicted of crimes against them.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a new mandatory detention and expedited removal rule for noncitizens who are found to be gang members, supporters of designated foreign terrorist organizations, or who have been convicted of a long list of specified crimes (including any felony and certain misdemeanors such as assault on an officer, sexual offenses, domestic violence, stalking, crimes against children, and violating protection orders). The bill also defines several "vulnerable groups" (children under 16, pregnant people, those with severe disabilities, and people over 65) and states that covered noncitizens are not eligible for withholding of removal under U.S. immigration law. The measure adds a new statutory provision to the expedited removal chapter of immigration law, requires mandatory detention and quicker removal processing for the listed categories, and updates the chapter table of contents. It does not specify funding or other implementation deadlines in the text provided.
Introduced May 21, 2025 by Ashley Brooke Moody · Last progress May 21, 2025