H.R. 2851 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Agriculture, Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned, Apr 10, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands protections for immigrant crime victims
This bill makes it easier for victims of certain crimes to get a special visa (called a U visa) that lets them stay and work in the U.S. Right now, victims have to help investigators prosecute the crime to qualify, but this bill removes that requirement. It also adds hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse to the list of crimes that make someone eligible. The bill also requires immigration officials to give work permits to people applying for these visas and removes the yearly limit on how many can be granted.
How it affects you
If you're an immigrant victim of certain crimes, this bill would make it simpler to get legal status and work authorization without having to cooperate with law enforcement. The bill also protects people with U and T visas (for trafficking victims) from being detained while their applications are being reviewed. Additionally, it limits where immigration enforcement can happen—they can't conduct enforcement actions near schools, places of worship, health care facilities, and certain other locations, which could affect immigrant communities in those areas.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Apr 10, 2025)
Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment Act or the WISE Act
This bill expands eligibility for U nonimmigrant visas (victims of criminal activity) and prohibits immigration enforcement activities in specified areas.
Generally, U visas are for victims of specified crimes (e.g., rape, trafficking, or domestic violence) who assist with the investigation or prosecution of the crime. The bill adds hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse as crimes that may qualify a victim for a U visa and removes criteria related to the victim's assistance with the investigation or prosecution of the crime.
Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must provide work authorization to U visa applicants, whereas currently DHS may grant work authorization but is not required to do so.
The bill also eliminates the annual numerical cap on U visas.
The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that certain individuals, including U visa applicants and T visa (victims of human trafficking) applicants, shall not be detained while the application is pending.
Additionally, the bill provides immigration-related protections, such as by extending the admission period and providing work authorization, to the spouse or child of a nonimmigrant visa holder who subjected that spouse or child to battery or extreme cruelty.
Further, the bill prohibits, with some exceptions for exigent circumstances, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection from conducting immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a school, health care facility, place of worship, or other location specified in the bill.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2851
A BILL
WISE Act
Sponsor: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7) · Introduced Apr 10, 2025 · Immigration · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 10, 2025: “Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Agriculture, Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.”
Sections
Sections · 20
- Sec. 1Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2Purpose; sense of CongressNo change
- Sec. 3U visa reformNo change
- Sec. 4Immigration status for certain battered spouses and childrenNo change
- Sec. 5Prohibition on detention of certain victims with pending or approved petitions and applicationsNo change
- Sec. 6Access to certain informationNo change
- Sec. 7Powers of immigration officers and employees at protected areasNo change
- Sec. 8Protections and relief for domestic violence survivorsNo change
- Sec. 9Relief for domestic violence survivor visa waiver entrantsNo change
- Sec. 10Strengthen waivers for humanitarian need, family unity, or public interestNo change
- Sec. 11Prohibition on Removal of Survivors of ViolenceNo change
- Sec. 12Exception to reinstatementNo change
- Sec. 13Protections for step-childrenNo change
- Sec. 14Waiver of monetary penaltyNo change
- Sec. 15Technical correctionNo change
- Sec. 16Permit immigration judges to grant inadmissibility waiversNo change
- Sec. 17Elimination of visa caps for abused, abandoned, or neglected childrenNo change
- Sec. 18Elimination of general consent standard for abused, abandoned, or neglected childrenNo change
- Sec. 19Deadline for motions to reopen orders of removalNo change
- Sec. 20NaturalizationNo change