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HR7608119th Congress
Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]
Introduced
Summary
Limits detention and removal for certain long‑resident Southeast Asian nationals while creating a narrow path to reopen old deportation cases. This bill would bar detention or removal of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese nationals who entered by January 1, 2008 and have lived continuously in the United States since then, and it would let many people reopen or reconsider past removal orders from April 24, 1996 onward.
Show full summary
- Eligible Southeast Asian nationals would be protected from detention and removal on and after enactment and would receive permanent work authorization via an employment endorsement or a 5‑year renewable work permit.
- People with qualifying past removal, deportation, or exclusion orders could file for mandatory reopening or reconsideration; reopened cases would be terminated with prejudice and prior orders vacated so the person is treated as not having been removed.
- The Department of Homeland Security must notify affected individuals within 60 days where practicable, the government may transport and parole eligible people back for proceedings at government expense, and federal courts may hear class actions to enforce the law.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
No detention and virtual check-ins
If enacted, the bill would bar detention or removal after enactment for nationals of Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam who entered on or before January 1, 2008 and have lived in the U.S. continuously since that entry. If enacted, people under an order of supervision could apply to DHS to substitute virtual periodic identification for in-person check-ins. DHS would require those virtual appearances no more often than once every five years.
Reopen removal cases for Southeast Asians
If enacted, the bill would require reopening or reconsideration of certain removal orders for Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese nationals ordered removed, deported, excluded, or who took voluntary departure on or after April 24, 1996 and before enactment, if they show they would not have been detained or removed under this bill. The reopened proceeding would be terminated with prejudice and the old removal order would be vacated, and the person would be treated as not removed for immigration-law purposes. DHS would, to the extent practicable, notify covered people within 60 days and would pay for travel and travel documents to bring eligible people back and admit or parole them for further proceedings. The bill would waive certain motion deadlines, bar denials based only on missing old applications, allow district courts to review denials de novo, and permit suits (including class actions) to enforce the Act.
Work permits for Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese
If enacted, the bill would require DHS to authorize eligible nationals of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to work in the United States. To qualify you would need to have entered on or before January 1, 2008 and lived continuously in the U.S. since that entry. DHS would issue an "employment authorized" endorsement or a work permit valid five years. The five-year permit could be renewed any number of times.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1]
RI • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
MO • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]
TX • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]
GA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]
MN • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
NY • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
MN • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
PA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]
WA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
NY • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
GA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/25/2026
Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32]
CA • D
Sponsored 5/4/2026
Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
OR • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 5/13/2026
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 6/2/2026
Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]
TX • D
Sponsored 8/20/2026
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov