Illegal Immigration Cost Recovery Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4769
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-30T21:43:18Z
AI-Generated Summary
## Purpose The legislation aims to increase financial deterrents against unauthorized immigration and employment by doubling certain civil penalties under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
## Key Provisions
- Employer Penalties (Section 2): Amends 8 U.S.C. 1324a(e)(4)(A) to raise fines for hiring unauthorized aliens, with new ranges of $1,432–$11,448 for first offenses, $11,448–$28,616 for second offenses, and $17,172–$57,238 for subsequent offenses. Adds annual inflation adjustments using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) starting October 1, 2027.
- Failure to Depart (Section 3): Amends 8 U.S.C. 1324d(a) to increase the civil penalty from $500 to $1,996 for aliens subject to a final removal order who do not depart. Includes the same annual inflation adjustment mechanism.
- Improper Entry (Section 4): Amends 8 U.S.C. 1325(b) to raise the civil penalty for unauthorized entry or attempt from $50–$250 to $200–$1,000. Adds the same inflation adjustment process.
## Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill modifies three existing sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act by replacing prior penalty amounts with doubled figures and introducing mandatory annual inflation adjustments tied to the CPI-U, published annually in the Federal Register.
## Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases administrative workload for the Department of Homeland Security in assessing and collecting higher penalties, with new publication requirements for adjusted amounts.
- Citizens and Employers: Raises potential financial costs for businesses found in violation of hiring rules.
- International Relations: No direct provisions affecting foreign governments or treaties are included.
## Main Stakeholders Affected
- Employers who hire unauthorized workers.
- Foreign nationals subject to removal orders or who enter without authorization.
- The Department of Homeland Security and related enforcement agencies.
## Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill relies on existing civil penalty frameworks within the Immigration and Nationality Act and incorporates inflation adjustment procedures from the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. It introduces no new constitutional questions but strengthens enforcement tools through higher monetary sanctions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT], Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT], Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-11: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Illegal Immigration Cost Recovery Act — issued 2026-06-11 — PDF (6 pages)