A significant border security bill designed to permanently enshrine several of former President Donald Trump’s executive actions has cleared the House Judiciary Committee and is headed to the House floor as of Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

The Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, advanced along party lines during an hours-long markup, was met with strong opposition from Democratic lawmakers. Sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the bill proposes criminalizing visa overstays, increasing penalties for unlawful entry, ending "catch and release" by mandating detention or return of most illegal migrants during case processing, and tightening asylum eligibility and humanitarian parole.

The legislation also seeks to strengthen Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by directing the Department of Homeland Security to modernize border facilities, expand staffing and workforce planning, and deploy enhanced surveillance technologies such as drones, radar systems, biometric screening, and DNA collection.

House conservatives have pushed GOP leaders for months to make Trump’s border agenda permanent, citing a historic low in illegal border crossings during his second term. However, the bill notably omits a nationwide E-Verify mandate, a provision that has long divided Republicans.

During the debate, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) urged the majority to "set aside the demonization of immigrants to pass comprehensive, commonsense immigration reform on a bipartisan basis."

Republican supporters emphasized the need to codify border security and address birthright citizenship. One representative stated, "We want to make sure that if you ever, God forbid, get another Joe Biden-type president who's just going to open the border, that makes it much tougher for him to do what he did."

The bill’s advancement marks a key step in the ongoing immigration overhaul efforts within the House.

Sources