Federal
Immigration Vehicle Stops Temporarily Paused After ICE-Involved Shooting in Maine
On July 14, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a temporary pause on most vehicle stops for immigration enforcement purposes after the second fatal ICE-involved shooting this month, with a senior ICE official announcing that all ICE deportation officers “are instructed to prioritize other existing operational methods, outside of vehicle stops, to conduct immigration enforcement activities.” The announcement came one day after the fatal shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, during an immigration enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine, which itself came days after the death of Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo under similar circumstances.
The shootings mark the fourth fatal ICE-involved shootings of 2026 and have received significant public scrutiny, with questions raised about the background and training of the officer at the center of the Maine shooting, as well as the underlying circumstances surrounding both shootings. As questions mounted about the recent spate of deadly encounters, the White House and DHS appeared ready to restart vehicle stops, after President Trump posted a defense of the practice to social media on July 15. After the president called the practice “one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools,” ICE officers were reportedly told that traffic stops are “not off the table” and remain “a tool in the toolkit.”
Advocates have renewed calls for body cameras and overall transparency. Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the Forum stated, “ICE needs to evaluate what went wrong in these cases and improve training and appropriate personnel screening procedures for its deployed officers” and urged for the right balance of effective immigration enforcement and public safety.
New Duration of Status Rule Establishes a Fixed Period of Admission for International Students
On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule establishing a fixed four-year period of admission for international students entering the United States. Under the rule, students needing additional time to complete their studies, including those whose programs exceed four years in length, will be required to apply for an extension of stay before their authorized stay expires.
The new rule replaces long-established duration of status policies for international students and their dependents. Under the previous framework, international students with F and J visas were generally permitted to remain lawfully in the United States for the duration of their approved program, rather than for a fixed period. The new rule will also create new shorter validity periods for foreign journalists traveling to the United States on I visas.
According to DHS, the new regulations will allow them to better “monitor and oversee” nonimmigrants participating in the programs satisfy their visa requirements. However, some critics of the rule have highlighted that imposing restrictive time limits on international students will discourage international students from coming to the U.S. to study, with far-reaching consequences for U.S. educational institutions, the broader U.S. economy, and the students themselves.
Final Public Charge Rule Aims to Expand Discretionary Authority to Deny Admission or Adjustment of Status of Noncitizens
On July 16, the administration released the text of the unpublished final rule entitled “Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility,” which will be officially published on July 20. The final rule will change how immigration officials assess whether certain immigrants are likely to become a “public charge.”
Under U.S. immigration law, public charge is a legal term that refers to immigrants expected to rely primarily on government assistance for subsistence. This concept, which has existed under U.S. immigration law since the 19th Century, is a ground of inadmissibility that makes noncitizens ineligible for admission or adjustment of status. In recent decades, this term has generally been defined to be limited to someone who would become “primarily dependent” on government cash assistance for income maintenance or on long-term institutional care at government expense. In 2022, DHS issued a final rule that provided concrete definitions and limits on which benefits and circumstances count toward a public charge determination.
The new rule will rescind the 2022 rulemaking, including its definition of “public charge.” DHS argues that the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) does not define “public charge,” leaving immigration officers the ability to assess inadmissibility using statutory factors and the totality of the circumstances. Therefore, DHS will eliminate the 2022 definition to allow a more flexible assessment of whether an individual is likely to depend on public resources. Under this approach, determinations would depend on a case-by-case analysis recognizing that “healthy . . . working-age” individuals with “no significant disabilities” impacting their ability to be “self-sufficient” are generally unlikely to become public charges, especially when they have a robust family support network.
While DHS frames the rule as restoring alignment with the statute and providing adjudicators with more discretion, the NPRM raises substantial concerns about predictability, fairness, and the practical consequences for millions of families.
Administration Moves to Restrict Bank Lending Access for Immigrants without Work Authorization
The Trump administration is moving to limit access to credit for immigrants without U.S. work authorization, building on a May executive order that directed regulators to address perceived financial risks tied to lending to undocumented borrowers. On July 13, three federal bank regulators — the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration — issued joint guidance stating that borrowers who lack work authorization may pose an “elevated credit risk” because their ability to generate income, maintain employment, and remain financially stable may be more uncertain. While the guidance does not create new legal requirements, it urges banks to more closely scrutinize mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and other consumer credit extended to non–work authorized borrowers, emphasizing that institutions should “identify, measure, monitor, and control” these risks through underwriting that considers a borrower’s willingness and capacity to repay.
The July 13 guidance implements a May 19 executive order in which President Trump directed the Treasury Department and financial regulators to “crack down” on use of the financial system by unauthorized immigrants and to consider how potential deportation and loss of wages should factor into ability-to-repay standards. Supporters of the move argue it will protect the financial system and prevent Americans from “subsidizing” high-risk borrowers, while consumer advocates warn it could effectively “debank” large numbers of immigrants in legal limbo, pushing them out of mainstream credit markets. A recent white paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, highlighted by administration allies, links unauthorized immigration to localized effects on employment and housing prices, though economists and housing advocates caution that restricting immigrant access to credit could have broader negative impacts on labor markets and housing supply.
Administration Opens Major H-1B Fraud Probe
On July 8, the Trump administration announced its first major federal investigation into suspected fraud in the H-1B visa program, focusing initially on large technology and consulting employers and the use of visas for jobs that may not be genuine or may undercut U.S. wages. Vice President J.D. Vance unveiled the probe during an anti-fraud tour stop at the 128th Air Refueling Wing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, saying the Labor Department had already begun issuing dozens of subpoenas and opening investigations into what he described as foreign nationals and employers misusing the visa system. Vance argued that while H-1B visas were intended for “a brilliant technology person, or a brilliant scientist, or a brilliant doctor,” the program is now often used by big corporations and overseas operators to undercut American workers’ pay, stating that “American jobs ought to go to American workers and not foreign fraudsters.”
The probe comes amid broader Trump administration changes to high-skilled immigration, including a new $100,000 fee imposed on H-1B applications and tightened rules on prevailing wages and specialty occupations. Employers and immigrant workers are watching closely to see whether the investigation leads to criminal charges, civil penalties, or further restrictions on the use of H-1B visas for common IT and consulting roles.
USCIS Provides Brief Extensions for TPS Work Permits for Six Countries
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has briefly extended work authorization for certain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders while litigation over DHS’s termination decisions continues. Employment authorization documents (EADs) for TPS beneficiaries from Somalia, Syria, and Yemen are now valid through July 24, 2026; for Burma (Myanmar) through July 27, 2026; and for Ethiopia and South Sudan through July 30, 2026. These new dates replace prior extensions that were set to expire on July 17, 2026, giving affected workers and employers a short window of continued authorization as courts and DHS sort out next steps.
State and Local
Colorado ICE Facility Faces Tuberculosis Outbreak
On July 14, it was reported that at least 12 detainees at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in Aurora, Colorado, have tested positive for tuberculosis, according to testimony from a detainee held at the facility since December 2025. The detainee said that after an initial case was identified, all 88 people he was detained with were tested, and that those who tested positive were kept together with the rest of the group in quarantine rather than separated. The Adams County Health Department has confirmed only one laboratory-confirmed case of active tuberculosis so far, saying it lacks the records needed to verify the broader outbreak reported by detainees.
County health officials say GEO Group, the private contractor that operates the facility, has resisted their investigation into the outbreak, denying them the access, records, and information needed to identify who may have been exposed. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he is “deeply concerned” by the reports and the alleged interference with local public health officials’ ability to investigate. An ICE spokesperson has denied any confirmed active cases and said the facility is following all applicable laws and guidelines.
The outbreak comes as ICE has signed a five-year, $529 million contract with GEO Group to open a second Colorado detention center in Hudson. The 1,188-bed facility will nearly double the state’s ICE detention capacity. Colorado Democrats and immigrant advocates have criticized the agreement, calling it “a profound betrayal of Colorado’s values.”
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
S. 5023
Ban Birth Tourism Act
The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the inadmissibility of certain aliens seeking citizenship for children by giving birth in the United States.
Sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) (6 cosponsors)
07/16/2026 Introduced by Sen. Blackburn
07/16/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 4983
Harry Reid Immigration Stabilization Act
The bill would “would eliminate birthright citizenship, institutes a cap on refugee admissions, reforms the broken asylum system, and streamlines the deportation process, among other border security measures.”
Sponsored by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) (0 cosponsors)
07/15/2026 Introduced by Sen. Moreno
07/15/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 4973
American Citizenship Act
The bill would amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict the meaning of the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) (0 cosponsors)
07/14/2026 Introduced by Sen. Schmitt
07/14/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 4954
The Citizenship Act of 2026
The bill declares that any person who enters the United States without authorization or for the purpose of engaging in birth tourism is considered an invader and amends section 301(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude the children of invaders from birthright citizenship.
Sponsored by Sen. Jim Banks (R-Indiana) (2 cosponsors)
07/13/2026 Introduced by Sen. Banks
07/13/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9745
Orlin’s Law
The bill would require certain protections for any dependent child whose parent is a detained alien.
Sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) (26 cosponsors)
07/16/2026 Introduced by Rep. Jayapal
07/16/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9742
English Language Proficiency Act
The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to alter the naturalization requirements, including the English language, history, principles, and form of government of the United States.
Sponsored by Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) (3 cosponsors)
07/16/2026 Introduced by Rep. Gill
07/16/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9710
Third World Immigration Moratorium Act
The bill would prohibit entrance to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the Palestinian Authority.
Sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) (0 cosponsors)
07/15/2026 Introduced by Rep. Mace
07/15/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9662
Birthright CLAIM Act of 2026
The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to impose limits on birthright citizenship for aliens and unauthorized migrants.
Sponsored by Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-Florida) (3 cosponsors)
07/14/2026 Introduced by Rep. Steube
07/14/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9659
Fund Schools, Not ICE Act
The bill would transfer certain unobligated funds appropriated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Secure America Act to the Department of Education to carry out programs under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
Sponsored by Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Arizona) (2 cosponsors)
07/13/2026 Introduced by Rep. Stanton
07/13/2026 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, and Homeland Security
H.R. 9656
Illegal Alien Patient Reporting Act
The bill would amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require hospitals participating in Federal health care programs to report certain information related to immigration status.
Sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) (4 cosponsors)
07/13/2026 Introduced by Rep. Roy
07/13/2026 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. House is scheduled to be in session from Monday, July 20, through Thursday, July 23. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to be in session from Monday, July 20, through Friday, July 24.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Markup: H.R. __ , Permanent Trump Secure Border Act
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET (House Judiciary Committee)
Location: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
“False Narratives Surrounding Conditions at the Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center”
Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET (House Judiciary Oversight Subcommittee)
Location: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
The Forum is constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that are particularly relevant this week:
Explainer: 2025 Proposed Rule on Public Charge
Explainer: Supreme Court Reaffirms Birthright Citizenship in Trump v. Barbara
Current Status of DACA: Explainer
Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Fact Sheet
Explainer: Proposed Restrictions on Employment Authorization for Certain Noncitizens
*As of publication (7/17/26 at 2:30 PM EST)
This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the Forum, with questions, comments, and suggestions for additional items to be included. Nicci can be reached at nmattey@forumtogether.org. Thank you.