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H.R. 116119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Jan 3, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 116 shortens the asylum application window to 6 months, limits entry to ports of entry, and speeds up hearings for unaccompanied children.
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HR 116 tightens asylum rules by cutting the application deadline from one year to six months, requiring applicants to have sought asylum in transit countries first, and restricting applications to those who entered at official ports of entry. The bill also changes how unaccompanied migrant children are processed, requiring specialized interviews, faster court hearings within 14 days, and equal treatment regardless of country of origin. Sponsors receiving migrant children would have their personal information shared with immigration authorities before placement.
The bill primarily affects migrants and asylum seekers at the US border, including unaccompanied children and their potential sponsors. It also affects immigration judges, border officers, and federal agencies including Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.
People who entered between ports of entry or did not seek asylum in a transit country would be barred from applying under the new rules. Asylum seekers would wait longer for work permits, up to one year after filing, and could lose status if they return to their home country, while false claims could result in up to 10 years in prison.
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 Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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.