Sponsors
The bill provides targeted federal relief to small, locally affected businesses hurt by federal immigration enforcement, but does so with limited funds, strict eligibility and documentation rules, and caps/exclusions that will leave many harmed businesses uncompensated or delayed.
Small business owners in areas with recent federal immigration enforcement can receive direct payments to cover documented revenue losses (subject to per-location and aggregate caps).
Small business owners have access to a dedicated $200 million fund available until expended to provide timely relief, with grants awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Locally owned small businesses (not large multi-location or publicly traded firms) are prioritized by eligibility limits, helping target limited funds to smaller, community-based firms.
Multi-location firms and publicly traded companies (and businesses subject to aggregate/per-location caps) may be undercompensated or disqualified even if individual local outlets suffered large losses.
Businesses with revenue losses under the 25% eligibility threshold are excluded from aid even if they remain financially strained.
Verification and documentation requirements (gross receipts comparisons, certifications, tax records) could delay payments or exclude businesses lacking clean records despite real losses.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a $200M SBA-administered fund to grant verified revenue losses to small businesses hit by federal immigration enforcement, with per-location and aggregate caps.
Provides a $200 million fund to pay grants to small businesses that can show at least a 25% revenue loss caused by a federal immigration enforcement action in the past year. The Small Business Administration would run the fund, verify losses with tax and identity checks, and pay each eligible business an amount equal to its verified immigration-enforcement-related revenue loss subject to per-location and aggregate caps.
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Edward John Markey · Last progress February 12, 2026