Bills of Congress June 26, 2025 by U.S. Congress

H.R.275 - Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025 (119th Congress)

Summary

H.R.275, the "Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025," mandates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publish monthly reports on the number of special interest aliens encountered attempting to unlawfully enter the United States. These reports must include the total number of such aliens, their nationalities or countries of last habitual residence, and the geographic regions where they were encountered. The reports will be made available on a public DHS webpage and submitted to relevant committees in the House and Senate.

Expected Effects

The Act aims to increase transparency regarding encounters with special interest aliens. This could lead to heightened public awareness and potentially inform policy adjustments related to border security and immigration enforcement. The data collected may also influence resource allocation within DHS.

Potential Benefits 3/5

- Increased transparency and public awareness regarding special interest aliens encountered at the border.
- Improved data collection and analysis for informed policy decisions related to border security.
- Enhanced ability to identify trends and patterns in unlawful entry attempts by special interest aliens.
- Potential for more effective resource allocation within the Department of Homeland Security.
- Provides Congress with regular updates to oversee DHS activities.

Most Benefited Areas:

Public Safety & Crime Reduction ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

National Security & Defense ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Potential Disadvantages

- Potential for the data to be misinterpreted or used to promote discriminatory policies.
- Risk of fueling xenophobia or anti-immigrant sentiment based on the reported data.
- Increased administrative burden on the Department of Homeland Security to compile and publish the reports.
- Definition of "special interest alien" may be overly broad or subject to political manipulation.
- Possible privacy concerns related to the collection and reporting of nationalities and countries of residence.

Most Disadvantaged Areas:

Social Equity & Poverty Reduction ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Individual Liberties, Rights & Privacy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Constitutional Alignment 4/5

The Act appears to align with the constitutional powers of Congress to legislate on matters of immigration and national security, as implied by Article I, Section 8, which grants Congress the power to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization and to provide for the common Defence. The reporting requirements do not appear to infringe on any specific constitutional rights, although potential privacy concerns could arise depending on how the data is collected and used. The First Amendment is not directly implicated.

Impact Assessment: Things You Care About

This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to citizens. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).