Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7708

Immigration: Returning ID Documents After Release

PAPERS Act of 2026

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

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.

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 25, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced in House

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

PAPERS Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7708

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

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