The U.S. House passed the Deporting Fraudsters Act, also known as H.R. 1958, sponsored by Rep. Dave Taylor (R-OH), on March 18, 2026, by a 231-186 vote, largely along party lines, with nearly all Democrats opposing the obviously reasonable and common-sense legislation.
For context, the bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make noncitizens inadmissible or deportable if convicted of defrauding the U.S. government or unlawfully receiving public benefits. Republicans framed it as essential to protect taxpayers amid scandals like the Minnesota welfare fraud. Democrats called it redundant, as fraud already allows deportation, and criticized it for bypassing convictions/due process, potentially deporting without criminal trials
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), speaking on the House floor in defense of the bill and the very reasonable provisions within it, declared, “If you admit to or you’re convicted of fraudulently receiving public benefits, you are out of here on the next plane and can never return.”
Likewise, Rep. Dave Taylor (R-OH), the original sponsor of the bill, added that it is clearly a common-sense and much-needed package of legislation. He said, “It’s a no-brainer — if an illegal alien defrauds the United States or steals benefits from our nation’s most vulnerable, they should be permanently removed from our country.”
However, Democrats, such as the infamous Jamie Raskin (D-MD), claimed that it was, “Another week, another redundant and completely unnecessary immigration crime bill. By bypassing the conviction requirement, this legislation would hand a liberal get-out-of-jail free card to immigrants who commit fraud by deporting them without going through the criminal justice system and giving their victims a day in court.”
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), countered Rep. Raskin’s claims, saying, “We have already seen why action is needed. Independent journalist Nick Shirley helped expose a massive fraud scheme, showing how organized and widespread these scams can become even when oversight fails.”
In an official press release, Rep. Taylor added, “Ohioans work too hard to have their tax dollars and benefits stolen by illegal aliens who shouldn’t even be here in the first place. My Deporting Fraudsters Act will bolster the Trump Administration’s efforts to do just that, and today I’m proud to see it take one step closer toward becoming law.”
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Likewise, Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) of the House Judiciary Committee noted, “The number of illegal aliens committing fraud against Americans is ridiculous. Congressman Taylor’s Deporting Fraudsters Act will ensure that foreign nationals defrauding American taxpayers and the country’s immigration system are held accountable.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) also lent his weight to the bill. “Americans who meet eligibility requirements should be the only ones to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. Under the Biden administration’s border policies, abuse of these programs by illegal aliens increased,” the Texas Republican asserted.
Concluding his comments, Cruz explained, “This bill will stem that abuse. I am pleased to see the House pass it, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same and send it to the President to become law.”
Watch a clip of the bill passing here:
“Illegal aliens who falsify documents, steal identities, and cheat the system to gain public benefits meant for American citizens, including SNAP or Medicaid, should unquestionably be deported. By ensuring any illegal alien who defrauds the U.S. government can be removed from our country, this commonsense legislation would end the America-last policies of Joe Biden and rightfully put Americans first,” said Senator Cornyn.
Featured image from embedded video