Michael McCaul

Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act

This bill extends the customs waters territory of the United States to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States.

Under current law, customs waters means waters within four leagues (equivalent to 12 nautical miles) of the coast of the United State. This bill provides statutory authority for two presidential proclamations to extend the customs waters to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States.

Specifically, the bill revises the statutory definition of customs waters to include the waters within (1) the territorial sea of the United States to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 5928, dated December 27, 1988, that extended such limits to 12 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States; and (2) the contiguous zone of the United States to the limits permitted by international law in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 7219, dated September 2, 1999, that extended such limits to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States.

Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025

This bill adds a new source of revenue for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF). Specifically, the bill requires certain civil monetary penalties collected from settlements and judgments in cases involving fraud and false claims against the federal government to be deposited into the CVF through FY2029.

The CVF supports federal, state, and local programs and activities to compensate and assist victims of crimes. Currently, the CVF is funded by deposits from a variety of sources, including federal criminal fines, penalties, and assessments; forfeited bail bonds; and certain other gifts, donations, and bequests.

Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes programs and activities that combat international trafficking; establishes a new program to help victims of trafficking; and updates various elements of the federal framework to combat international trafficking.

Specifically, this bill reauthorizes through FY2029 programs and activities at various federal departments and agencies to combat international trafficking and reduce the prevalence of modern slavery. The bill also reauthorizes International Megan’s Law through FY2029. Among its provisions, the law requires sex offenders to provide certain information about their intended travel outside of the United States.

Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a new program to help victims of trafficking integrate or reintegrate into society.

The bill requires the Department of State's Trafficking in Persons Report to include information about trafficking in persons for the purposes of organ removal.

With respect to country rankings for anti-trafficking efforts, the bill narrows the types of countries that are listed on the Tier 2 Watch List and increases the length of time a country may remain on the Tier 2 Watch List after being downgraded to the lowest ranking and then reinstated to the watch list. (The Tier 2 Watch List refers to countries that are making efforts to meet international standards for combatting human trafficking but still have a significant number of severe trafficking cases.)

Finally, the bill requires counter-trafficking strategies, activities, and efforts to be further incorporated into U.S. foreign assistance.

Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act

This bill restores an exemption for certain family farms and small businesses on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The bill applies to the net worth of (1) a family farm on which the family resides, or (2) a small business with not more than 100 full-time or full-time equivalent employees that is owned and controlled by the family.

Prior to recent changes made to the FAFSA, the net worth of these family farms and small businesses were excluded as assets when calculating a student's financial need to determine federal student aid eligibility. Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the net worth of these farms and businesses are treated as an asset and therefore included in the calculation. This bill restores the exemption to exclude such net worth from the calculation.

Cartel And Radical Terrorist Enforcement Log Act of 2025 or the CARTEL Act of 2025

This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to publish each month statistics related to encounters and arrests. The report must include, for example, the total number of individuals affiliated with transnational criminal organizations who have repeatedly attempted to cross unlawfully into the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security must report annually on foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations attempting to move their members or affiliates into the United States through the southern, northern, or maritime border.

This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2600 Wesley Street in Greenville, Texas, as the "Cooper Dawson Post Office Building".

Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act

This bill directs the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to study and report on Holocaust education efforts in states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and public elementary and secondary schools. Among other elements, the study must (1) determine whether states and LEAs require Holocaust education as part of the curriculum taught in public elementary and secondary schools, (2) identify the standards and requirements relating to Holocaust education, and (3) identify the types of instructional material used to teach students about the Holocaust.

Main Street Tax Certainty Act

This bill makes permanent the qualified business income (QBI) tax deduction.

Under current law, individuals, estates, and trusts may deduct the lower of (1) 20% of QBI from a qualified business, qualified real estate investment trust dividends, and qualified publicly traded partnership income; or (2) 20% of taxable income less net capital gain. (Some limitations apply.)

However, under current law, the QBI tax deduction expires after December 31, 2025.

This resolution declares that every state within the United States has the sovereign right to exclude any person who does not have the right to be there. It also declares that the states along the southern border (1) were invaded by terrorists, narco-terrorist cartels, and criminal actors from 2021 through 2024; and (2) have the sovereign and unilateral authority to defend themselves against such an invasion.

Creating Obstructions Necessary to Address Illegal and Nefarious Entry Rapidly Act or CONTAINER Act

This bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to allow border states to place temporary, movable structures on federal lands adjacent to the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders without a special use authorization.

Border states may place these structures on such lands for the purpose of securing the northern or southern border for a period of not more than one year. Interior and the Forest Service must approve extension requests in 90-day increments if U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines that operational control of the border area has not been achieved.

Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends or the FORCE Act

This bill prohibits removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism until the President makes the determination that a transition government in Cuba is in power.

This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 107 North Hoyne Avenue in Fritch, Texas, as the "Chief Zeb Smith Post Office".

Return Excessive Migrants and Asylees to International Neighbors in Mexico Act of 2025 or the REMAIN in Mexico Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement the Migrant Protection Protocols as outlined in the January 25, 2019, memo titled Policy Guidance for Implementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols.

(The protocols generally required aliens who are not clearly admissible, including those seeking asylum, arriving by land along the U.S.-Mexico border to be returned to Mexico while their immigration proceedings are pending, rather than remain in the United States. On January 21, 2021, DHS stopped applying the protocols to newly-arrived individuals.)

No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act

This bill requires the Department of State to develop and implement a strategy to discourage foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban, including by using U.S.-provided foreign assistance to discourage countries and organizations from providing such support to the Taliban.

The State Department must report to Congress on (1) foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations that have provided financial or material support to the Taliban and U.S. efforts to oppose such support; (2) the strategy to discourage such support and a plan for the strategy's implementation; (3) U.S.-funded direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan; and (4) the Afghan Fund, including Taliban influence over Da Afghanistan Bank (the Afghan central bank).

Grant Integrity and Border Security Act

This bill requires an applicant for a federal grant to certify that the applicant has not violated in the last 10 years, is not currently violating, and will not violate during the term of the grant the federal criminal prohibition against bringing into the United States or harboring certain non-U.S. nationals (i.e., aliens under federal law). Upon determination by the granting agency that a grantee is in violation of this bill, the agency must withhold any federal grant funds from the grantee.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) must report to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) individuals convicted of, or who admitted to, such a violation. Additionally, the DOJ must report to OMB if DOJ believes there is a reasonable basis to conclude that an individual has committed such a violation.

No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act

This bill makes a state or political subdivision of a state ineligible for any federal funds that the jurisdiction intends to use to benefit non-U.S. nationals (i.e., aliens under federal law) who are unlawfully present if the jurisdiction withholds information about citizenship or immigration status or does not cooperate with immigration detainers.

Specifically, such funds are denied to any jurisdiction that has a law, policy, or practice that prohibits or restricts any government entity from

• maintaining, sending, or receiving information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual;

• exchanging information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status with a federal, state, or local government entity;

• complying with a valid immigration detainer from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); or

• notifying DHS about an individual's release from custody.

The funding restriction does not apply to a law, policy, or practice that only applies to an individual who comes forward as a victim of or a witness to a criminal offense.

DHS must annually provide to specified congressional committees a list of jurisdictions that have failed to comply with a DHS detainer or have failed to notify DHS of an individual’s release.

The funding restriction begins 60 days after the bill's enactment or on the first day of the fiscal year following the bill's enactment, whichever is earlier.

Laken Riley Act

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.

Under this bill, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.

The bill also authorizes state governments to sue for injunctive relief over certain immigration-related decisions or alleged failures by the federal government if the decision or failure caused the state or its residents harm, including financial harm of more than $100. Specifically, the state government may sue the federal government over a

• decision to release a non-U.S. national from custody;

• failure to fulfill requirements relating to inspecting individuals seeking admission into the United States, including requirements related to asylum interviews;

• failure to fulfill a requirement to stop issuing visas to nationals of a country that unreasonably denies or delays acceptance of nationals of that country;

• violation of limitations on immigration parole, such as the requirement that parole be granted only on a case-by-case basis; or

• failure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States.

Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act

This bill imposes sanctions against foreign persons (individuals and entities) who assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting certain individuals.

The bill categorizes as protected persons (1) any U.S. individual, U.S. entity, or person in the United States, unless the United States is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and provides formal consent to ICC jurisdiction; and (2) any foreign person that is a citizen or lawful resident of a U.S. ally that is not a state party to the Rome Statute or has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.

If the ICC attempts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute a protected person, the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against the foreign persons that engaged in or materially assisted in such actions, as well as against foreign persons owned by, controlled by, or acting on behalf of such foreign persons. The President must also apply visa-blocking sanctions to the immediate family members of those sanctioned.

Upon enactment, the bill rescinds all funds appropriated for the ICC and prohibits the subsequent use of appropriated funds for the ICC.

Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act

This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates U.S. citizenship.

Further, the bill (1) prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless, at the time the individual applies to register to vote, the individual provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; and (2) requires states to establish an alternative process under which an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate U.S. citizenship.

Each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by certain sources.

Additionally, states must remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters.

The bill allows for a private right of action against an election official who registers an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

The bill establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses, including registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

Protecting our Communities from Sexual Predators Act

This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for sexual assault. The bill also provides for the inadmissibility and deportability of certain individuals convicted of sexual assault.

Under this bill, the DOJ must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States, made certain misrepresentations, or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts which constitute the essential elements of, an offense involving sexual assault.

The bill also establishes under statute that a conviction for certain crimes related to sexual assault shall be grounds for (1) barring an individual from entering the United States, and (2) deportability. (Under current law, convictions for certain crimes, including crimes involving moral turpitude, are grounds for inadmissibility and deportability.)