H.R. 924: NO BAN Act

The NO BAN Act rewrites a key part of immigration law that presidents have used to block entry for broad groups of people. Right now, that power is very broad. This bill would move more responsibility to the Secretary of State, require consultation with Homeland Security, and allow the president to act only when there are specific, credible facts showing a real security, public safety, human rights, democracy, or international stability concern.

The bill also raises the legal bar for any future entry ban. Restrictions would have to be tied to a compelling government interest, narrowly tailored, and the least restrictive option available. The administration would have to say how long a ban lasts, consider waivers, and start from a presumption that family-based and humanitarian waivers should be granted. In plain English: no more sweeping, open-ended bans without a detailed public and congressional justification.

Another major change is oversight. Before using this power, the administration would have to consult Congress and share evidence. Within 48 hours of taking action, it would have to brief Congress and submit a report explaining what it did, why, how many people could be affected, and what legal authority it used. If that report is not delivered on time, the restriction ends automatically unless Congress steps in.

The bill also expands the immigration system’s nondiscrimination rule. It would apply not just to immigrant visas, but also to nonimmigrant visas, entry decisions, and other immigration benefits, and it explicitly adds religion to the protected categories. That is the heart of the bill: making clear that immigration decisions should not be driven by blanket nationality- or religion-based bans, while still preserving a narrower power to respond to real threats.