H.R. 8240119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Apr 9, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 8240 would strip asylum status from applicants or approved asylees who return to the country they fled, with two narrow exceptions.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
HR 8240 would automatically disqualify asylum applicants who return to their home country while their case is pending. People who already hold approved asylum status could have that status canceled and face deportation or loss of naturalized citizenship if they return. Two exceptions exist: a presidential certification for national security travel, or a Secretary of State certification that the country has undergone a genuine change in government.
The bill directly affects people currently applying for asylum and people who already hold asylum status in the United States. It would be enforced by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, and does not affect U.S.-born citizens or immigrants in other visa categories.
The bill's stated logic is that returning to a country someone claimed was dangerous raises doubt about whether the fear of persecution was genuine. Approved asylees who travel back could face deportation or, if naturalized, loss of citizenship.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.