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118th Congress Immigration

H.R. 5145: WISE Act of 2023

Introduced

  1. Introduced (completed)Aug 4, 2023
  2. Passed House (not reached)
  3. Passed Senate (not reached)
  4. To the President (not reached)
  5. Became law (not reached)

Summary

Introduced in House, Aug 4, 2023

This bill expands eligibility for U nonimmigrant visas (victims of criminal activity) and addresses related issues.

Generally, U visas are for victims of specified crimes (e.g., rape, trafficking, or domestic violence) who assist with the investigation or prosecution of the crime. The bill adds hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse as crimes that may qualify a victim for a U visa.

Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must provide work authorization to U visa applicants, whereas currently DHS may grant work authorization but is not required to do so.

Read the full summary

The bill also eliminates the annual numerical cap on U visas.

The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that certain individuals, including U visa applicants and T visa (victims of human trafficking) applicants, shall not be detained while the application is pending.

Additionally, the bill provides immigration-related protections, such as by extending the admission period and providing work authorization, to the spouse or child of a nonimmigrant visa holder who subjected that spouse or child to battery or extreme cruelty.

Further, the bill prohibits, with some exceptions for exigent circumstances, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection from conducting immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a school, health care facility, place of worship, or other location specified in the bill.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Roll calls

0 votes on this bill

No roll call votes have been held on this bill.

Amendments

0 offered

No amendments were offered to this bill.

Cosponsors

44

Who scored on this bill

6 points earned
  1. 1Pramila Jayapal D-WA SponsorIntroduced, reached a cosponsor milestone2 events+6
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Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.

History

  1. Aug 4, 2023Introduced in the House by Pramila Jayapal.
Show the full action history (5 actions)
  1. Dec 17, 2024Referred to the Subcommittee on Social Security.
  2. Sep 21, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.
  3. Aug 11, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  4. Aug 4, 2023Introduced in House
  5. Aug 4, 2023Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.