Migrant Due Process Protection Act
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Norton, Ms. Titus, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Migrant Due Process Protection Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to give non-detained immigrants facing deportation the right to request that their removal proceedings be conducted via video or telephone conference. If an immigrant makes this request, immigration judges must grant it and ensure the virtual format does not disadvantage the immigrant.
Who Benefits and How
- Non-detained immigrants facing removal proceedings benefit by gaining the legal right to attend hearings remotely, eliminating travel burdens, work conflicts, and childcare barriers that can cause missed hearings and automatic deportation orders.
- Immigration attorneys and legal aid organizations benefit from reduced travel time and costs, allowing them to represent more clients and appear in courts across multiple jurisdictions.
- Video conferencing technology providers may see increased demand for courtroom technology services.
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Immigration courts (EOIR) must invest in video/telephone conferencing infrastructure and adapt procedures to ensure fair virtual hearings.
- ICE attorneys may need to adjust their prosecution strategies to accommodate virtual proceedings.
- There is no direct taxpayer cost specified, though infrastructure upgrades may require additional court resources.
Key Provisions
- Non-detained aliens can request video or telephone conference hearings for removal proceedings
- Immigration judges must grant such requests (mandatory, not discretionary)
- Judges must ensure "no prejudice" to the alien during virtual proceedings
- Detained immigrants (those in DHS custody) are excluded from this right
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow non-detained aliens in removal proceedings to request virtual hearings via video or telephone conference, which immigration judges must grant.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Expand due process protections for immigrants by making removal proceedings more accessible through technology while reducing in-person court appearances"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Non-detained immigrants facing removal proceedings
- Immigration attorneys and legal aid organizations
- Immigrants with transportation, work, or childcare barriers to in-person attendance
Likely Burden Bearers
- Immigration courts (increased video/telephonic infrastructure requirements)
- Department of Homeland Security (ICE attorneys must adapt to virtual proceedings)
- Immigration enforcement operations (may reduce efficiency of detention-based processing)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Homeland Security
- "immigration_judge"
- → Immigration Judge (Department of Justice, EOIR)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Any person who is not a citizen or national of the United States (per INA Section 101(a)(3))
A legal proceeding under the Immigration and Nationality Act to determine whether an alien should be removed from the United States
Physical detention by the Department of Homeland Security (excludes those released on bond, parole, or alternatives to detention)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology