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HR 275119th CongressIn Committee

Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025

Introduced: Jan 9, 2025
Defense & National SecurityImmigration
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publish, on a public DHS webpage and to Congress, monthly reports on “special interest aliens” encountered when attempting to unlawfully enter the United States. A “special interest alien” is defined as an alien whose travel patterns analysis suggests a potential national security risk. Each monthly report would provide the total number of such aliens, the nationalities or countries of last habitual residence, and would break data down by geographic regions, mode or location of encounter (land, air, sea ports of entry, between ports of entry, or interior), and whether any of the nationalities are “covered nations.” The first report would include data for January 20, 2021, through January 19, 2025. The act also directs DHS to publish the information publicly and transmit it to two congressional committees. In short, the bill would increase the visibility of border-security data related to individuals deemed higher-risk, with regular, systematic reporting and historical backfill to 2021–2025, potentially informing policy debates on immigration and national security.

Key Points

  • 1Monthly publication requirement: DHS must publish a report on special interest aliens by the 7th day of each month on a public DHS webpage and provide it to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  • 2Data contents: Each report must include the total number of special interest aliens encountered, the nationalities or countries of last habitual residence, and disaggregations by geographic regions, mode/location of encounter (land/air/sea ports of entry, between ports of entry, or interior of the U.S.), and identification of any covered nations.
  • 3Backfill requirement: The first report must cover January 20, 2021, through January 19, 2025, in addition to ongoing monthly data.
  • 4Definitions:
  • 5- Alien: as defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
  • 6- Special interest alien: an alien who, based on travel-pattern analysis, potentially poses a national security risk.
  • 7- Covered nation: as defined in 10 U.S.C. 4872(f)(2).
  • 8Status notes: The text indicates the bill’s movement through Congress (introduced in the Senate with referral to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee), and the accompanying House action showing passage of the bill, illustrating it as a legislative measure seeking enactment.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected:- DHS operations and border security agencies responsible for encounters at the border and interior enforcement, plus the individuals designated as “special interest aliens” under the bill’s definition.Secondary group/area affected:- Covered nations and their nationals, as data on last habitual residence may touch on international relations.- Policy makers, researchers, and civil liberties organizations that use or scrutinize DHS data and transparency measures.Additional impacts:- Data transparency and oversight: provides regular, public-facing data that could influence policy discussions on immigration and national security.- Privacy and profiling considerations: identifying nationalities and using travel-pattern analyses to label “special interest” individuals could raise concerns about profiling and civil liberties.- Administrative burden and costs for DHS to compile, categorize, and publish monthly reports, including backfill data.The term “special interest alien” in this bill relies on travel-pattern analysis to flag potential risks, which is a qualitative and analytical concept rather than a determination of criminal wrongdoing.“Covered nations” are a defined subset of countries in federal statute; the bill would surface whether encountered individuals hail from these nations.The document shows a contrast between the Senate’s legislative text (introduced and referred) and the House action (the bill being reported as having passed), reflecting typical bicameral progress.
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