Federal
House Republicans Tie SAVE Act Grants to Reconciliation Bid
On July 22, House Republicans voted 216-214 to adopt a budget resolution that lays the groundwork for a reconciliation package that would include up to $95 billion for the Iran war effort, farm aid, and elements of the SAVE America Act’s voting requirements. The framework sets aside roughly $10 billion in election-related grants over ten years intended to encourage states to adopt measures like those in the SAVE Act, including proof-of-citizenship and voter ID requirements, though questions remain about whether such election provisions can survive reconciliation’s strict budgetary rules.
The push comes as New Jersey’s noncitizen voter registration error has become a flashpoint in the debate over election integrity. Governor Sherrill disclosed that a software glitch in the state’s motor vehicle system incorrectly registered about 6,600 people who had indicated they were not U.S. citizens between June 2023 and June 2024, and that fewer than 400 of them appear to have actually voted. Sherrill said the erroneous registrations spanned Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters, and that the state found no evidence the flawed rolls swayed any election outcome, even as the Department of Justice opened an investigation into the matter.
ICE’s Enforcement Surge Continues Into July
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested more than 10,000 people over a five-day stretch at the end of June 2026, averaging roughly 2,000 arrests per day, part of an internal push from the White House to raise ICE’s daily arrest target. The pressure originated from a directive attributed to Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller that initially called for 3,000 arrests per day but was later revised down to a target of 2,000 per day amid concerns about ICE’s capacity to sustain the higher pace. June ultimately closed with more than 43,000 people booked into detention, averaging 1,438 arrests per day, while the first 11 days of July pushed the daily average even higher, to 1,593 arrests, suggesting the elevated enforcement pace has persisted rather than tapering off.
Detention levels have climbed alongside the arrest totals, with an average of about 59,400 people held in ICE custody in June, up from 58,200 in May, and more than 65,600 people held during the first 11 days of July. The non-criminal detained population grew especially fast, rising 20 percent in the first part of July compared with June, from nearly 22,000 to just over 26,000.
The enforcement surge has also drawn scrutiny following a death in Florida, where a Mexican national was struck and killed by a truck after fleeing an ICE encounter in St. Augustine. The man, later identified as a tourist visiting from Mexico, ran into a busy road before being hit, and his death has intensified criticism of ICE’s tactics amid the broader push to increase arrests.
FBI Reportedly Told to Stop Investigating Confrontations Involving ICE Agents
In mid-July, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers across the country were reportedly informed that the FBI would no longer investigate assault-on-federal-officer cases involving ICE personnel. If implemented, the shift would significantly reduce independent federal oversight of ICE officers, who have already come under heightened public scrutiny following two fatal shootings involving ICE personnel in Texas and Maine in recent weeks. Instead, assault allegations involving ICE agents would be investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division within ICE itself. Observers noted that the policy change could lessen the likelihood that ICE agents involved in shootings would be investigated for breaking federal law. Both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have publicly disputed the report, releasing a statement noting: “The relationship between D.H.S. and D.O.J. in investigating assault on federal officer cases has not changed, and F.B.I. will continue to investigate in accordance with agency policy.”
Trump Administration Pressures Immigrants to Self-Deport With Fines Up to $1.8 Million
The Trump administration began issuing notices threatening some immigrants with fines of up to $1.8 million for failing to leave the United States after receiving a final order of removal. Under the policy, immigrants can face fines of up to $998 per day for remaining in the country after a final removal order, meaning that penalties can quickly accumulate into hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars over time. The notices rely on a rarely enforced provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that allows the government to impose daily penalties on individuals who do not depart after receiving an order to leave. According to reports, the Department of Homeland Security has sent notices proposing fines ranging from thousands of dollars to more than $1 million, depending on how long an individual has remained in the country after receiving a removal order.
Administration officials have described the policy as a tool to encourage voluntary departures and strengthen compliance with removal orders, while immigrant advocates argue that the fines are financially unattainable for most recipients and are intended to pressure immigrants to leave the country rather than pursue available legal options. The policy has generated concern among immigration attorneys, who warn that many recipients may have pending legal claims or limited ability to pay such substantial penalties. Critics also argue that the renewed enforcement of these fines could discourage many immigrants from engaging with the immigration system or seeking relief available under federal law.
Legal
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Disrupting Immigrants’ Work Authorization
A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked several Trump administration policies that imposed new hurdles on asylum applications and revoked work authorizations for people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The emergency order, issued July 21, sided with a coalition of immigrant rights groups and labor unions who sued to stop U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from enforcing new restrictions tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including retroactive time limits on employment authorization documents and penalties for failing to pay a newly created asylum application fee. The order prevents USCIS from rejecting pending asylum applications or terminating work permits for people who do not pay the fee, though the judge declined to block collection of the fee itself.
The ruling extends relief to asylum applicants of all nationalities, though it particularly benefits TPS holders from Haiti and Venezuela. Haitian TPS holders who were set to lose their work permits on July 24 can now keep them until November 2026, when their most recent Biden-era renewal expires, while relief for Venezuelans applies only to an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people who renewed their status before February 5, 2025, and whose permits remain valid through October 2026.The stay will remain in effect until at least August 5, when the judge is expected to rule on whether to issue a longer-term injunction blocking the policies. So far, lower courts have been the main check on the administration’s immigration agenda, even as the Supreme Court has repeatedly sided with the president on related issues, including ending temporary protections for people fleeing crisis-hit countries and limiting asylum access.
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
S. 5097
End H-1B Abuse Act of 2026
The bill would to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for a pause on the issuance of H-1B visas until certain limitations on their issuance are implemented.
Sponsored by Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Montana) (1 cosponsor)
07/23/2026 Introduced by Sen. Sheehy
07/23/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 5094
Real Courts, Rule of Law Act
The bill would establish, under Article I of the Constitution of the United States, a court of record, known as the United States Immigration Courts
Sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) (10 cosponsors)
07/22/2026 Introduced by Sen. Gillibrand
07/22/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 5093
Protection of Kids in Immigrant Detention (PROKID) Act
The bill would establish the Office of the Ombudsperson for Immigrant Children in Immigration Custody.
Sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) (1 cosponsor)
07/22/2026 Introduced by Sen. Gillibrand
07/22/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 5071
Children’s Safe Welcome Act
The bill would create protections for children in immigration custody. The bill’s House companion is H.R. 9805.
Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) (17 cosponsors)
07/22/2026 Introduced by Sen. Merkley
07/22/2026 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9943
To amend the Small Business Act to help owners and employees of small business concerns understand their rights and responsibilities with respect to immigration enforcement, and for other purposes
Sponsored by Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-New York) (13 cosponsors)
07/23/2026 Introduced by Rep. Velázquez
07/23/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Small Business
H.R. 9919
Ban Birth Tourism Act of 2026
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 Rep. Richard McCormick (R-Georgia) (2 cosponsors)
07/23/2026 Introduced by Rep. McCormick
07/23/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9899
Afghan TPS Act
The bill would designate Afghanistan under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit nationals of Afghanistan to be eligible for temporary protected status under such section.
Sponsored by Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colorado) (4 cosponsors)
07/23/2026 Introduced by Rep. Crow
07/23/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9854
Citizenship Act of 2028
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 Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) (5 cosponsors)
07/22/2026 Introduced by Rep. Gill
07/22/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9853
The Right to Learn Act
The bill would establish a grant program to support students, families, and school personnel impacted by immigration enforcement actions to ensure that schools remain safe, trauma-informed learning environments.
Sponsored by Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Illinois) (14 cosponsors)
07/22/2026 Introduced by Rep. García
07/22/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce
H.R. 9834
No Racketeers on Our Shores Act
The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the inadmissibility and deportability of aliens who engage in economic discrimination against United States persons.
Sponsored by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Washington) (0 cosponsors)
07/22/2026 Introduced by Rep. Baumgartner
07/22/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9803
Protecting Immigrants from Legal Exploitation Act
The bill would create penalties for providing fraudulent immigration legal services and allow immigrants who are victims of fraud to have their cases reconsidered under certain circumstances
Sponsored by Rep. Bill Foster (D-Illinois) (17 cosponsors)
07/21/2026 Introduced by Rep. Foster
07/21/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to be in session from Monday, July 27, through Friday, July 31. The U.S. House is scheduled to be in recess until August 31.
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: Final Duration of Status Rule Establishes Limited Periods of Admission for International Students and Journalists
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 (7/24/26 at 1:00 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.