PAPERS Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to give back personal ID documents to people when they are released from immigration custody. This includes items like passports, birth certificates, driver's licenses, and work permits that were taken when the person was first detained.
• Currently, the government sometimes keeps these documents even after a person is let go. This can make it very hard for people to rent an apartment, get a job, or prove who they are while they wait for their immigration court dates.
• The government would only be allowed to keep a document if it is fake, being used as evidence in a crime, or if the person is no longer legally allowed to have it. If the government does keep a document, they must give the person a written explanation and a certified copy of the ID.
• The bill specifically says that the government cannot keep documents just because it is more convenient for them or because they think they might need the documents for a future immigration case.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.