Sponsors (5)
Last progress June 5, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 5, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn
Requires the Attorney General to begin immigration removal proceedings promptly after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves a Notice to Appear (NTA), require an even faster start for people convicted of deportable offenses, and direct the Attorney General to take all actions (including regulations and guidance) so that those immigration court cases are completed within 15 days of initiation. The provision mandates operational and regulatory steps to meet the 15-day case-completion target for these removal proceedings.
Redesignates the existing paragraph (2) of Section 239(d) as paragraph (3).
Strikes the existing paragraph (1) of Section 239(d) and inserts two new paragraphs (1) and (2) containing new requirements for the Attorney General.
The Attorney General must commence removal proceedings as promptly as possible after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement files, with the immigration court, a Notice to Appear that has been served on an alien.
If the alien was convicted of an offense making the alien deportable under section 237(a), the Attorney General must commence any removal proceeding with respect to that alien as expeditiously as possible after the date of conviction.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including section 208(d)(5)(A), the Attorney General shall take all actions — including promulgating relevant regulations and issuing relevant guidance — to ensure all immigration court proceedings with respect to an alien referred to in paragraph (1) are completed not later than 15 days after they are commenced.
Primary impacts:
Noncitizens in removal proceedings: Cases would move much faster. People served with NTAs — especially those with prior criminal convictions — would have less time to obtain counsel, prepare factual and legal defenses, and gather documentation. Faster timelines could disproportionally affect detained and non-detained respondents who lack prompt access to lawyers or records.
Immigration courts and Department of Justice: Immigration judges, court staff, and case-support personnel would face compressed timelines to schedule master and merits hearings, receive and review evidence, and issue decisions. Meeting a 15-day completion goal likely requires operational changes, more judges or support staff, longer work hours, streamlined procedures, or new triage rules.
DHS/ICE: The agency that serves NTAs would need to coordinate filing and service practices to meet the statutory prompt-start and fast-completion goals, potentially prioritizing certain cases (e.g., those with criminal convictions).
Legal service providers and defenders: Legal aid organizations and private counsel would face increased pressure to intake, investigate, and file motions quickly; capacity constraints could reduce meaningful access to representation.
Courts and federal oversight: The Attorney General must promulgate regulations and guidance to reach the timeline; absent additional resources, meeting the mandate may be legally and practically difficult. The speed requirement may raise constitutional and due-process challenges and could prompt litigation over whether the timelines permit adequate preparation and fair hearings.
Overall, the change shifts the immigration system toward rapid adjudication of removal cases, likely reducing individual preparation time and increasing operational demands on federal agencies and court staffing. Without dedicated funding or detailed implementation rules, the provision could create bottlenecks, raise fairness concerns, and produce disputes about compliance and remedies.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
REMOVE Act
Updated 1 week ago
Last progress July 23, 2025 (6 months ago)