Cortez Masto reintroduces reform bill to protect undocumented immigrants while they 'get in line'

Cortez Masto reintroduces reform bill to protect undocumented immigrants while they 'get in line' By Las Vegas Sun Staff Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | 2 a.m. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., reintroduced the Fairness for Immigrant Families Act on Monday, July 28, 2026, marking her third attempt to advance a comprehensive immigration overhaul through Congress. The legislation seeks to shield undocumented immigrants lacking criminal records from detention and deportation while providing a clearer route to lawful permanent residency. The bill would extend protections against removal to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and parents of U.S. citizens. It would also require the director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to personally review and approve any deportation action involving a parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen child under 21, prohibiting delegation of that authority. Additionally, the State Department would be tasked with creating a dedicated office to assist U.S.-citizen children who remain in the country after a parent’s deportation. Cortez Masto emphasized the measure’s purpose in a statement: “Hardworking, law-abiding migrant families crossed the U.S. are looking to Congress to yet code migration reform,” Cortez Masto said successful a statement. “While our migration strategy has agelong been broken, I judge it tin beryllium fixed. That’s wherefore I’m putting distant pragmatic, commonsense proposals to bring radical retired of the shadows successful the state wherever they’ve built their lives and supply them existent entree to the American Dream.” Nevada has a direct stake in the outcome. According to 2024 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Latinos constitute roughly 33% of the Las Vegas metropolitan area’s population. Pew Research Center data from 2023 rank the state among the nation’s highest for households with undocumented residents, noting approximately 11,000 active DACA recipients—one of the largest totals for any state. Broader national figures underscore the bill’s relevance. The Migration Policy Institute reports that as of 2023, about 17.9 million children in the United States—roughly one in four—have at least one immigrant parent. Approximately 5.5 million U.S.-born children live in households containing at least one undocumented resident, and around 5 million American families include both undocumented members and U.S. citizens or lawful residents, per a permanent residents, according to a 2024 study by the Center for Migration Studies of New York. Economic contributions further illustrate the community’s impact. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy calculates that undocumented immigrants paid more than $37 billion in state and local taxes in 2022. The Center for Migration Studies of New York also estimates that 1.5 million mortgages are held by households that include at least one undocumented member. Beyond core protections, the bill creates grant programs for states to combat so‑called “notario” fraud—where individuals misuse Spanish‑language translations to pose as licensed immigration attorneys—criminalizes fraudulent immigration schemes, and permits victims to reopen mishandled cases beyond standard filing deadlines. It would also mandate the Department of Homeland Security to release detailed financial data on how immigration fees are collected and spent, with updates on adjudication backlogs and processing delays. The legislation additionally safeguards immigrants who are crime victims, witnesses, or advocates for civil and labor rights from enforcement actions. It would shield DACA recipients and those with pending applications from deportation while their cases proceed, and reconstruct legal pathways allowing undocumented immigrants with family or employer ties to adjust status without leaving the United States. For newly eligible individuals, the stay on removal would extend six months after final implementation rules are published. Support for the measure comes from the Nevada Immigrant Coalition, the Nevada chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Las Vegas, according to Cortez Masto’s office. This marks the third time Cortez Masto— the first and only Latina to serve in the U.S. Senate—has introduced the Fairness for Immigrant Families Act. She initially proposed the bill in 2021 and reintroduced it in 2023, but each version stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee and lapsed when the congressional session ended. Reintroducing the legislation resets its place in the legislative pipeline, though Cortez Masto acknowledged significant obstacles. In an interview with the Nevada Independent, she noted the bill currently lacks a House counterpart and that no Republican colleagues have signaled support for the measure, a prerequisite for passage. When pressed about potential GOP backing, she replied: “Not yet,” she said when asked whether she had identified any GOP supporters.