Returning Illegals over Turmoil Act

Bill Number

H.R. 3859

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Immigration

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-06-10: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Last Updated

2026-06-04T15:10:16Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose The legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish new rules for removing certain non-citizens from the United States and barring them from returning if they are convicted of or admit to assaulting law enforcement officers or participating in related violence during civil unrest.

Key Provisions

• Adds a new category under the Immigration and Nationality Act making non-citizens deportable if they incite or take part in riots or disturbances that involve actual or attempted assault, battery, or force against law enforcement officers (federal, state, local, or tribal) or U.S. military members, or the willful damage to public property.
• Applies only to non-citizens who were unlawfully present, held DACA status, or were lawful permanent residents at the time of the acts.
• Makes any non-citizen removed under these rules permanently barred from entering the United States.
• Eliminates eligibility for common forms of immigration relief, including asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, withholding of removal, or deferred action.
• Bars future DACA benefits for anyone removed under the act.
• Requires mandatory enforcement without discretion during a declared national emergency, major disaster, or state or local emergency.
• Authorizes expedited removal proceedings and mandatory detention for affected individuals during such emergencies.
• Applies to offenses committed on or after the date of enactment.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a new ground for deportation tied specifically to assaults on law enforcement or military personnel and related property damage during civil unrest.
• Creates permanent inadmissibility for those removed under the new rules, overriding standard waiver options.
• Limits discretionary relief and prosecutorial discretion that are otherwise available under current immigration law.
• Mandates detention and expedited processes in emergency situations, expanding existing detention authority.

Potential Impacts

• Increases removal proceedings and detention requirements for the Department of Homeland Security and immigration courts during periods of civil unrest or declared emergencies.
• Affects non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients, by narrowing pathways to remain in the United States after certain convictions.
• Strengthens enforcement tools available to federal agencies when responding to riots or disturbances involving law enforcement.
• No direct effects on international relations are specified in the bill.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Non-citizens who are unlawfully present, hold DACA status, or are lawful permanent residents and are involved in the described conduct.
• Law enforcement officers and military personnel, whose protection is the focus of the new rules.
• Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, responsible for enforcement and removal.
• State and local governments that declare emergencies or prosecute related offenses.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Expands mandatory detention and limits judicial and administrative discretion in immigration cases, which may affect due process considerations in removal proceedings.
• Ties immigration consequences to conduct during civil unrest, potentially overlapping with existing criminal laws on riots and assaults.
• Applies retroactively only to future offenses but mandates enforcement during emergencies, which could accelerate removals without standard hearings.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2]

Cosponsors (29)

Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14], Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10], Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16], Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11], Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17], Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5], Rep. Jackson, Ronny [R-TX-13], Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3], Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13], Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19], Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8], Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-MT-1], Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2], Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1], Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10], Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26], Rep. Fallon, Pat [R-TX-4], Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24], Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2], Rep. Davidson, Warren [R-OH-8], Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2], Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25], Rep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3], Rep. Moran, Nathaniel [R-TX-1], Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4], Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15], Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14], Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24], Rep. Goldman, Craig A. [R-TX-12]

Recent Actions

• 2025-06-10: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2025-06-10: Introduced in House
• 2025-06-10: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Returning Illegals over Turmoil Act — issued 2025-06-10 — PDF (5 pages)