House passes Deporting Fraudsters Act, 231-186, adding benefits fraud as deportation ground

The House passed the Deporting Fraudsters Act 231-186 on March 18, sponsored by Rep. David Taylor (R-OH), amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to make public benefits fraud a new ground for deportation and inadmissibility. The bill allows removal based on "admitted acts" rather than court convictions alone. Democrats argued the bill could trigger deportations through coerced admissions and deter mixed-status families from seeking legitimate emergency aid. The bill faced long odds in the Senate under the 60-vote threshold.