Illegal Immigration Cost Recovery Act

Rick Scott

Republican · FL · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Mike Lee (R-UT)Original· 2026-06-11
• Tim Sheehy (R-MT)Original· 2026-06-11
• Ted Budd (R-NC)· 2026-06-15

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

2026-06-11

Source: Congress.gov

The bill would increase financial penalties for people who illegally enter the United States or stay after being ordered to leave, as well as for employers who knowingly hire workers without legal authorization to work. These penalties would be doubled from their current amounts, making the fines significantly more expensive for those who violate immigration laws. The changes would affect undocumented immigrants, people subject to deportation orders, and businesses that employ unauthorized workers.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4769 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4769 To double the civil penalties for aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States without authorization, aliens subject to a final order of removal who fail or refuse to depart from the United States, and employers that knowingly hire aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 11, 2026 Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Sheehy) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To double the civil penalties for aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States without authorization, aliens subject to a final order of removal who fail or refuse to depart from the United States, and employers that knowingly hire aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Illegal Immigration Cost Recovery Act''. SEC. 2. INCREASED CIVIL PENALTIES FOR EMPLOYERS THAT HIRE UNAUTHORIZED ALIENS. (a) In General.--Section 274A(e)(4)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(e)(4)(A)) is amended-- (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting ``, subject to paragraph (10),'' after ``such violations and''; (2) in clause (i), by striking ``$250 and not more than $2,000'' and inserting ``$1,432 and not more than $11,448''; (3) in clause (ii), by striking ``$2,000 and not more than $5,000'' and inserting ``$11,448 and not more than $28,616''; and (4) in clause (iii), by striking ``$3,000 and not more than $10,000'' and inserting ``$17,172 and not more than $57,238''. (b) Annual Inflation Adjustment.--Section 274A(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(10) Annual inflation adjustment.-- ``(A) In general.--Beginning on October 1, 2027, the penalty amounts established under paragraph (4)(A) shall be adjusted annually to account for inflation by using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the same manner as civil monetary penalties are adjusted under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (28 U.S.C. 2461 note). ``(B) Publication.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall publish the inflation-adjusted amounts referred to in subparagraph (A) in the Federal Register not later than December 15 of each year, and such adjusted amounts shall apply to penalties assessed on or after January 1 of the following year.''. SEC. 3. INCREASED CIVIL PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO DEPART. Section 274D(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324d(a)) is amended-- (1) by amending the section header to read as follows: ``civil penalties for failure to depart''; (2) in paragraph (1), by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as clause (i), (ii), and (iii), respectively; (3) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively; (4) by striking ``(a) In General.--Any alien'' and inserting the following: ``(a) In General.-- ``(1) Conditions.--Subject to paragraph (2), any alien''; (5) in the undesignated matter following subparagraph (B), as redesignated, by striking ``$500'' and inserting ``$1,996''; and (6) by adding at the end the following: ``(2) Annual inflation adjustment.-- ``(A) In general.--Beginning on October 1, 2027, the penalty amounts established under paragraph (1) shall be adjusted annually to account for inflation by using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published…

by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the same manner as civil monetary penalties are adjusted under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (28 U.S.C. 2461 note). ``(B) Publication.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall publish the inflation-adjusted amounts referred to in subparagraph (A) in the Federal Register not later than December 15 of each year, and such adjusted amounts shall apply to penalties assessed on or after January 1 of the following year.''. SEC. 4. INCREASED CIVIL PENALTY FOR IMPROPER ENTRY. Section 275(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1325(b)) is amended-- (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and by moving such subparagraphs 2 ems to the right; (2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as redesignated, by striking ``Any alien'' and inserting the following: ``(1) Civil penalty.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), any alien''; (3) in paragraph (1)(A), as redesignated, by striking ``$50 and not more than $250'' and inserting ``$200 and not more than $1,000''; (4) in the undesignated matter following subparagraph (B), as redesignated, by striking ``Civil penalties'' and inserting the following: ``(2) Clarification.--Civil penalties''; and (5) by adding at the end the following: ``(3) Annual inflation adjustment.-- ``(A) In general.--Beginning on October 1, 2027, the penalty amounts established under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) shall be adjusted annually to account for inflation by using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the same manner as civil monetary penalties are adjusted under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (28 U.S.C. 2461 note). ``(B) Publication.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall publish the inflation-adjusted amounts referred to in subparagraph (A) in the Federal Register not later than December 15 of each year, and such adjusted amounts shall apply to penalties assessed on or after January 1 of the following year.''. <all>

• S5377A bill to amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to establish certain procedures for consideration of appropriation bills, and for other purposes.
  Referred to Committee · 2026-08-07
• S5315Trade Deficit Elimination Act of 2026
  Referred to Committee · 2026-08-06
• S1735Permitting Transparency and Accountability Act
  Referred to Committee · 2026-08-06
• S5230Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2026
  Referred to Committee · 2026-08-04