Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2026

Bill Number

H.R. 7608

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Immigration

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-02-20: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Last Updated

2026-06-03T08:07:00Z

AI-Generated Summary

Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2026 (H.R. 7608)

Purpose

This legislation aims to halt the detention and removal of certain long-term residents who are nationals of Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam, while providing mechanisms to reopen prior removal cases and grant employment authorization. It addresses historical U.S. involvement in Southeast Asian conflicts and the resettlement of refugees from those regions.

Key Provisions

• Eligibility for Relief: Individuals who are nationals of Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam, entered the United States on or before January 1, 2008, and have continuously resided there since entry are protected from detention or removal under a final order.
• Employment Authorization: The Secretary of Homeland Security must issue permanent work permits valid for five years, renewable indefinitely, to eligible individuals.
• Supervision Adjustments: Eligible individuals under orders of supervision are exempted from in-person periodic identification, with virtual appearances required no more than once every five years.
• Reopening of Cases: The Attorney General must grant motions to reconsider or reopen removal proceedings for those ordered removed, deported, or excluded (or who departed voluntarily) on or after April 24, 1996, if they meet nationality and entry criteria, and would not have been subject to removal under this Act. This includes vacating prior orders and deeming individuals as not removed for immigration purposes.
• Transportation and Reentry: The government must provide transportation and documents for eligible individuals abroad to return for proceedings, at no cost, and admit or parole them.
• Notice Requirements: The Secretary of Homeland Security must notify affected individuals within 60 days of enactment about the Act's protections and motion-filing processes.
• Judicial Review: Individuals harmed by violations may seek declaratory or injunctive relief in federal district court, with provisions allowing class actions.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• This Act creates new limitations on enforcement of removal orders under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), overriding standard detention and removal procedures for a defined group.
• It expands access to motions to reopen or reconsider under INA section 240(c) by waiving deadlines, previous motion restrictions, and certain application requirements.
• It modifies physical presence calculations for future relief applications, preventing tolling due to prior removal or departure.
• It introduces exceptions to standard supervision and identification requirements under INA section 241(a)(3).

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice would face increased administrative burdens for processing motions, issuing work permits, providing notices, and arranging returns. The Department of State would coordinate on travel documents.
• Citizens and Residents: Long-term Southeast Asian residents with removal orders could gain legal stability, employment rights, and family unity, potentially reducing deportations to countries where they lack ties or face risks.
• International Relations: The Act may affect bilateral repatriation agreements with Cambodia (2002) and Vietnam (2008 and 2020), as it halts removals that those pacts facilitated, potentially requiring renegotiation or adjustments in diplomatic cooperation.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Nationals of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam with final removal orders who arrived before 2008, including many refugees from the Vietnam War era and their families.
• U.S. government agencies involved in immigration enforcement, including ICE, EOIR, and DHS.
• Southeast Asian American communities, particularly those with historical ties to U.S. military involvement in the region.
• Advocacy organizations focused on immigrant rights and refugee resettlement.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• The Act includes explicit judicial review provisions that bypass some INA limitations, allowing de novo review in district courts for denials of reopening motions.
• It applies retroactively to cases dating back to 1996, potentially altering outcomes from laws like IIRIRA and AEDPA without direct amendment.
• By providing relief tied to nationality and historical entry dates, it raises considerations under equal protection principles, though the bill frames it as targeted relief based on specific refugee resettlement history.
• The inclusion of class action authorization under 28 U.S.C. § 1711 enables broader litigation to enforce the Act's protections.

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

Sponsor

Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]

Cosponsors (36)

Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7], Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1], Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52], Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46], Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47], Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32], Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]

Recent Actions

• 2026-02-20: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2026-02-20: Introduced in House
• 2026-02-20: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2026 — issued 2026-02-20 — PDF (13 pages)