Halt Immigration from Countries with Inadequate Verification Capabilities Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7964
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-17: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-03T22:20:13Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill, titled the Halt Immigration from Countries with Inadequate Verification Capabilities Act, aims to protect U.S. national security by prohibiting the admission of immigrants (aliens, a legal term for non-U.S. citizens or nationals) from countries where the U.S. cannot reliably check their identities or backgrounds. It builds on the framework of Presidential Proclamation 9645 (2017) and the Supreme Court case Trump v. Hawaii (2018), which upheld travel restrictions from certain countries.
Key Provisions
- Designated Countries: Includes Somalia; countries from Proclamation 9645 (Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen); and others designated by the Secretary of State (in consultation with Homeland Security and National Intelligence), such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, and the Central African Republic, based on poor verification capabilities, instability, or security risks.
- Admission Ban: Prohibits entry for any alien who is a national of or resided in a designated country in the past 5 years.
- Exceptions:
- Lawful permanent residents (green card holders).
- Pre-existing refugees or asylees (those granted protection before enactment).
- U.S. Armed Forces members and immediate family.
- Diplomatic visa holders.
- Case-by-case national interest waivers (e.g., students with enhanced screening).
- Waivers: Allowed by Homeland Security Secretary for humanitarian reasons or international obligations.
- Processes:
- Initial list published in Federal Register within 60 days of enactment.
- Annual reviews with 30-day public notice; changes published.
- Annual reports to Congress (with classified parts if needed).
- Enhanced vetting for exceptions, implemented within 180 days.
- Enforcement: Follows Immigration and Nationality Act; violators face removal and 10-year reentry ban.
- Other: Severability clause (invalid parts don't affect the rest); effective 90 days after enactment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Codifies into permanent statute (via Immigration and Nationality Act amendments) what was previously a temporary executive action (Proclamation 9645).
- Expands the list of restricted countries beyond the original proclamation.
- Shifts primary authority from the President to the Secretary of State for designations, with mandatory reviews and congressional oversight.
- Introduces a 5-year residency lookback and specific penalties not detailed in the proclamation.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for Homeland Security (vetting, waivers, enforcement), State Department (designations, reviews), and National Intelligence (consultations); requires new procedures and reporting.
- Citizens and Immigrants: Enhances perceived national security by limiting high-risk entries; restricts travel/immigration for affected individuals, potentially separating families or blocking students/workers unless waived.
- International Relations: May strain diplomacy with designated countries due to perceived discrimination or uncooperativeness; could encourage better information-sharing from those nations to lift bans.
Main Stakeholders
- U.S. Government: Departments of Homeland Security, State, and National Intelligence; Congress (oversight committees like Judiciary).
- Immigrants/Applicants: Nationals or recent residents of designated countries seeking visas, asylum, or entry.
- U.S. Citizens/Residents: Military families, employers of foreign workers/students, and the public (via security measures).
- Foreign Governments: Leaders of designated countries, affecting bilateral ties and cooperation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Relies on Trump v. Hawaii precedent affirming presidential/congressional authority under Immigration and Nationality Act §212(f) for security-based restrictions; includes waivers and processes to address past challenges (e.g., no Establishment Clause issues as it's facially neutral).
- Constitutional: Likely withstands challenges due to Supreme Court upholding similar measures; severability protects core provisions.
- Political: Formalizes restrictions as law (harder to reverse than executive orders); emphasizes national security over other immigration priorities, with built-in flexibility via reviews/waivers.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6], Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19], Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1], Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-17: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-03-17: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-17: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Halt Immigration from Countries with Inadequate Verification Capabilities Act — issued 2026-03-17 — PDF (7 pages)