Bill Foster (D-IL)
Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 18 Democratic cosponsors · See all 18 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2026" aims to punish immigration-related fraud and protect individuals from exploitation. It establishes criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for those executing fraudulent schemes or falsely representing themselves as attorneys or accredited representatives. The bill mandates that convicted individuals fully reimburse their clients for fraudulent services. It also requires new regulations for identifying those who assist with immigration submissions and empowers the Attorney General to seek civil injunctions against fraudulent providers. Additionally, the act provides relief for victims of fraud, creates outreach programs, and establishes a grant system for nonprofit legal services.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +7
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill protects immigrants from fraudulent legal services through criminal penalties, restitution, and outreach programs.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill provides financial restitution for victims of fraud and funds nonprofit legal services through grants.
- Scored +4
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?
The bill mandates that educational materials be made available in Spanish to assist immigrant communities.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Criminal Penalties for Fraud: Any person who uses false pretenses to defraud people or obtain money regarding immigration matters can face up to 10 years in prison (Section 2(a)).
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Protection Against Unauthorized Legal Representation: Individuals who falsely claim to be attorneys or accredited representatives can face up to 15 years in prison (Section 2(b)).
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Financial Restitution for Victims: Convicted individuals must fully reimburse clients for services that were provided fraudulently (Section 2(c)).
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Identification of Preparers: New regulations will require persons who assist with or translate immigration submissions to be identified, providing more transparency (Section 3(a)).
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Civil Action Against Fraudulent Providers: The Attorney General can take civil action to stop immigration service providers from engaging in fraudulent conduct (Section 3(b)).
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Relief for Victims of Fraud: Individuals may withdraw immigration applications without prejudice if they were prepared by someone engaged in the unauthorized practice of law (Section 4(a)).
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Procedure for Corrected Filings: A procedure will be developed to allow for corrected applications, even if they exceed certain numerical or time limitations (Section 4(b)).
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Waiver of Reentry Bar: An alien may be exempt from the bar to reentry if they can prove they departed the U.S. based on erroneous advice from someone engaged in fraud (Section 4(c)).
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Community Education: The government will carry out outreach programs to educate immigrants on who is authorized to provide legal services (Section 5(a)).
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Access to Legal Information: Information regarding fraud by unauthorized consultants will be made available at appropriate offices and through websites (Section 5(c)).
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Support for Nonprofit Legal Services: A grant program will be established to fund qualified nonprofit organizations to provide direct legal assistance to aliens (Section 6).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Civil Contempt Penalties: Regulations will allow immigration judges to use contempt authority, which may include monetary penalties applicable to all parties appearing before them (Section 4(d)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill protects immigrants from fraudulent legal services through criminal penalties, restitution, and outreach programs. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides financial restitution for victims of fraud and funds nonprofit legal services through grants. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill mandates that educational materials be made available in Spanish to assist immigrant communities.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill allows for corrected filings and provides a waiver of the reentry bar for those who suffered from immigration fraud.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the identification of those who assist with immigration submissions to provide more transparency.
- 8/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/21/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 17 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Yvette ClarkeDemocrat · New York
Judy ChuDemocrat · California
Salud CarbajalDemocrat · California
Gilbert CisnerosDemocrat · California
Jesús GarcíaDemocrat · Illinois
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Zoe LofgrenDemocrat · California
James McGovernDemocrat · Massachusetts
Seth MoultonDemocrat · Massachusetts
Robert MenendezDemocrat · New Jersey
Jerrold NadlerDemocrat · New York
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Jimmy PanettaDemocrat · California
Mike QuigleyDemocrat · Illinois
Janice SchakowskyDemocrat · Illinois
Paul TonkoDemocrat · New York
Juan VargasDemocrat · California
Debbie Wasserman SchultzDemocrat · Florida