S. 225 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jan 23, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRestricts asylum and immigration protections
This bill would change how the U.S. handles immigration by making Congress approve temporary protected status instead of the Department of Homeland Security doing it on its own. It would require unaccompanied children to be returned to their home country in more cases, remove an option that allowed some people to stay in the U.S. if they'd been here long enough, and limit when immigration officials can grant temporary admission to the country.
How it affects you
This would directly affect immigrant families and unaccompanied children seeking entry to the U.S., as more would face return to their home countries. People without standard travel documents trying to use airport security would be turned away. The overall effect depends on your immigration status or if you're seeking to bring family members to the country, but most U.S. citizens would not be directly impacted by these changes to immigration procedures.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 23, 2025)
End Unaccountable Amnesty Act
This bill revises, restricts, and repeals various laws and programs addressing the admissibility and deportability of certain non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law). The bill includes changes to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, the treatment of unaccompanied children, and removal proceedings.
Under current law, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may grant a foreign state Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which protects qualified nationals of that foreign state from removal from the United States. The bill instead requires an act of Congress to grant TPS to a foreign state. The bill limits TPS status to 12 months, subject to extension.
The bill also generally requires the return of unaccompanied inadmissible children to their country of nationality or last habitual residence, among other changes. Under current law, DHS is authorized (not required) to return these children, and only if their country of nationality or last habitual residence is contiguous to the United States.
The bill also repeals the law allowing for the cancellation of removal or adjustment of the immigration status of qualifying non-U.S. nationals.
Under the bill, certain forms of identification, including a Notice to Appear issued by DHS, are no longer valid documents for purposes of airport security checkpoints.
The bill also limits the ability of DHS to grant parole (temporary admission granted on a case-by-case basis). For example, the bill limits the granting of parole to a list of specific situations, such as the imminent death of a close family member.
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 SessionS. 225
A BILL
End Unaccountable Amnesty Act
Sponsor: Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) · Introduced Jan 23, 2025 · Immigration · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 23, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”