Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to explicitly name certain groups and broaden who counts as an "alien engaged in terrorist activity." It replaces a prior reference to a single spokesman with language that lists the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al‑Qaeda, ISIS, and Palestine Islamic Jihad (and their successors or affiliates) and treats their officials, spokespersons, members, and anyone who endorses or espouses their terrorist activities as examples of "aliens engaged in terrorist activity." The change makes those named organizations and people connected to them explicit examples for inadmissibility, removal, visa denial, and related immigration restrictions under the INA.
Amend 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(i) by striking the phrase "or spokesman of the Palestine Liberation Organization" and inserting the phrase "spokesperson, or member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al‑Qaeda, ISIS, Palestine Islamic Jihad, or any successor or affiliate group, or who endorses or espouses terrorist activities conducted by any of the aforementioned groups," thereby including those persons among aliens engaged in terrorist activity.
Who is affected and how:
Noncitizens / Aliens: Individuals who are identified as officials, spokespersons, members, successors, affiliates, or public endorsers of the listed organizations could be found inadmissible or removable under the INA. This affects visa applicants, people seeking admission at ports of entry, adjustment of status applicants, and respondents in removal proceedings.
Asylum seekers and refugees: Persons with past membership or statements tied to these groups may face heightened bars to asylum or refugee protection if adjudicators interpret the amendment as triggering terrorism-related exclusions.
Foreign organizations and affiliates: Groups, networks, or individuals with organizational ties to the named entities could be more readily treated as falling within terrorism-related statutory examples, even if not formally designated under other statutory schemes.
Federal agencies and immigration courts: DHS (including USCIS and ICE), State Department consular officers, DOJ attorneys, and immigration judges may rely on the statutory examples when making discretionary decisions, potentially increasing enforcement actions and adjudication workload.
Civil society and advocacy: Individuals or spokespeople who publicly express support for the listed groups could face immigration consequences if statements are interpreted as endorsing violent or terrorist activity; this raises potential free-speech and due-process concerns when applied to nonviolent advocacy or complex political expression.
Overall effects:
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Last progress June 11, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 11, 2025 by August Pfluger