Bill Overview
Title: Asylum Accountability Act
Description: This bill permanently bars a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) from receiving certain immigration-related relief if that individual is ordered removed from the United States after failing to appear at a removal proceeding, unless that failure to appear is due to exceptional circumstances. (Currently, this bar from relief is for 10 years.) Under this bill, such an individual shall be permanently barred from receiving discretionary relief under specified immigration provisions, such as (1) cancellation of removal and adjustment to lawful permanent resident status, (2) being allowed to voluntarily depart from the United States, or (3) being allowed to change from one nonimmigrant classification to another.
Sponsors: Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7]
Target Audience
Population: Non-U.S. nationals in removal proceedings who miss their hearing without exceptional circumstances
Estimated Size: 50000
- The bill impacts non-U.S. nationals who are in the process of removal proceedings within the United States.
- The legislation affects those who do not appear at their removal proceedings, regardless of the reason, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
- This permanent bar affects individuals who might otherwise be eligible for relief such as cancellation of removal, adjustment to lawful permanent resident status, voluntary departure, or change of nonimmigrant classification.
- According to the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) statistics, there are thousands of immigration removal proceedings annually, impacting a significant number of non-U.S. nationals.
Reasoning
- The population likely to be directly affected by this policy consists of non-U.S. nationals in the removal proceedings who fail to appear without exceptional circumstances. According to available statistics, a significant portion of the non-U.S. nationals in removal proceedings could be at risk of being subjected to this policy.
- This policy affects those who may have been eligible for legal adjustment or relief, but who missed their appearance without acceptable reason. It's crucial to understand both the direct implications for non-U.S. nationals, and the indirect effects on their family members who may depend on or reside with them.
- The budget constraints limit the immediate implementation effects to planning and enforcement aspects impacting administrative functions within the immigration system, potentially influencing how many cases are promptly addressed under this policy.
Simulated Interviews
Housekeeper (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I missed my hearing because I couldn't get the time off work. This policy could mean I never get a chance to become a permanent resident.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 1 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 1 | 8 |
Construction Worker (Houston, TX)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy feels unfair. I never received the notice, and now I might never have a chance for legal status.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 8 |
Waitress (Miami, FL)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I couldn't attend my hearing because I was seriously ill. If this policy goes through, I could be banned for life.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Taxi Driver (New York, NY)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could tear my family apart. My daughter didn't make it to her hearing because of a medical emergency.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 9 |
Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I got the notice a day too late. Now it seems like one mistake will cost me everything.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 2 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 2 | 8 |
Chef (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 12.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My lawyer didn't inform me about the date change; now I'm at risk of this lifetime ban.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Caregiver (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could mean never being able to help my family achieve stability here.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 2 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 2 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 7 |
Warehouse Worker (Dallas, TX)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 12.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I work double shifts and can easily miss a notice. This makes everything riskier.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 8 |
Student (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 19 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I worry about my brother; he's younger and didn't know what to do when he got a late notice.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Retired (Newark, NJ)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My spouse has been here for so long, but a technical error means this could affect us deeply.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $80000000)
Year 2: $50000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $80000000)
Year 3: $50000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $80000000)
Year 5: $50000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $80000000)
Year 10: $50000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $80000000)
Year 100: $50000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $80000000)
Key Considerations
- The policy could lead to increased immigration enforcement and administrative burdens.
- Legal challenges around 'exceptional circumstances' could arise, requiring additional resources.
- This policy might affect mixed-status families, impacting the stability of U.S. citizen children.