HR 5058 · 115th Congress 2017–2019, ended

Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act of 2018

Introduced Feb 15, 2018 Originated House Sponsor Jimmy Panetta D-CA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Mar 8, 2018 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedFeb 15, 2018
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act of 2018

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the annual numerical limit on nonimmigrant U visas (victims of crime who are willing to assist law enforcement in investigations and prosecutions).

The Department of Homeland Security shall grant work authorizations to aliens with a pending application for a nonimmigrant U visa or a T visa (victims of trafficking in persons who are willing to assist law enforcement in investigations and prosecutions).

The bill prohibits, with specified exceptions, the following nonimmigrants from being considered inadmissible or subject to removal or deportation until there is a final denial of status application:

  • a U or T visa applicant,
  • a battered spouse seeking employment authorization,
  • a battered spouse or child seeking permanent resident status,
  • an alien seeking temporary protected status (TPS), or
  • a self-petitioning alien seeking protections under the Violence Against Women Act.

Cosponsors 34

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 15, 2018 to Dec 10, 2018; 22 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CAAnna G. EshooOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-NYCarolyn B. MaloneyOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-FLDarren SotoOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-WADenny HeckOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-WADerek KilmerOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-OREarl BlumenauerOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-CAEric SwalwellOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-WIGwen MooreOriginalFeb 15, 2018
R-FLIleana Ros-LehtinenOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-CAJ. Luis CorreaOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-MAJames P. McGovernOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-COJared PolisOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-CAJuan VargasOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-NYKathleen M. RiceOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-CALucille Roybal-AllardOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-ILLuis V. GutierrezOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-WAPramila JayapalOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-CARo KhannaOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-NYThomas R. SuozziOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-AZTom O'HalleranOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-CAZoe LofgrenOriginalFeb 15, 2018
D-CAJudy ChuFeb 26, 2018
D-NVRuben J. KihuenFeb 26, 2018
D-CASalud O. CarbajalFeb 26, 2018
D-CALinda T. SánchezMar 1, 2018
D-FLStephanie N. MurphyMar 7, 2018
D-CAJim CostaMar 21, 2018
D-MIDebbie DingellJun 7, 2018
D-FLDebbie Wasserman SchultzJun 8, 2018
D-DCEleanor Holmes NortonJun 12, 2018
D-NHCarol Shea-PorterJun 27, 2018
D-ILMike QuigleyJun 27, 2018
D-ORSuzanne BonamiciDec 10, 2018

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Feb 15, 2018
Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
Referred Mar 8, 2018

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Mar 8, 2018Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
  2. Feb 15, 2018Introduced in House
  3. Feb 15, 2018Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Clause 4 of Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 164, no. 30, February 15, 2018, page H1213.

CRS reports 2

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 2

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

ProductTitleKindPublished
R47404Immigration Relief for Noncitizen Crime VictimsReportJan 31, 2023
R46584Immigration Relief for Victims of TraffickingReportOct 28, 2020

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the annual numerical limitation on U visas, to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant work authorization to aliens with a pending application for nonimmigrant status under subparagraph (U) or (T) of section 101(a)(15) of such Act, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act of 2018

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Feb 15, 2018Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.