Sen. Cortez Masto Introduces ‘Fairness for Immigrant Families Act’ to Block Deportations of DACA Recipients

WASHINGTON, D.C. / LAS VEGAS, NV — U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced sweeping federal legislation on Monday to protect recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from deportation and establish explicit statutory safeguards for immigrant families living in Nevada.

The reintroduced Fairness for Immigrant Families Act addresses growing anxiety across Southern Nevada’s immigrant communities following heightened federal enforcement actions and administrative delays in visa and DACA renewals.

Establishing Guardrails Against Detention and Deportation

The updated legislative draft establishes explicit statutory prohibitions against the detention and removal of active DACA recipients who remain in good standing. Nevada is home to approximately 11,000 “Dreamers”—one of the highest per-capita concentrations of DACA recipients in the nation.

Beyond DACA protections, the legislation introduces new transparency protocols for federal law enforcement. Under the bill’s provisions, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be required to report to Congress within 24 hours whenever a U.S. citizen is mistakenly detained or removed.

The bill also mandates high-level federal approval before immigration authorities can deport the parent of a U.S. citizen child, and creates legal protections for immigrants who serve as witnesses to crimes or report workplace labor violations.

+--------------------------------------------------------+
|     FAIRNESS FOR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES ACT SUMMARY        |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  - Lead Sponsor: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)     |
|  - Key Provision: Prohibits Deportation of DACA Holders|
|  - Oversight Mandate: 24-Hr DHS Report on Citizen Arrests|
|  - Family Protection: High-Level Approval to Deport     |
|                      Parents of U.S. Citizens          |
|  - Nevada Impact: ~11,000 Local DACA Recipients        |
+--------------------------------------------------------+

Addressing Systemic Delays and Community Impact

Cortez Masto emphasized that the bill aims to fix outdated laws that leave law-abiding families in legal limbo while refocusing federal enforcement resources on violent crime.

“Our immigration system is broken, and we’ve got to do something about it,” Sen. Cortez Masto told The Nevada Independent. “Not going after the worst of the worst, but going after individual families in our community that have done nothing but pay taxes and be a part of our community… it has had a chilling effect.”

The legislation has earned endorsements from leading advocacy and business organizations, including the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Las Vegas, the Nevada Immigrant Coalition, UnidosUS, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Source: Office of Senator Catherine Cortez Masto Press Registries, The Nevada Independent Congressional Reports.