Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced the Deportation Compliance Act on Thursday, a hard-hitting bill that would slash all foreign aid to countries refusing to take back their deported nationals after six months of visa sanctions.
The legislation, backed by a coalition of conservative heavyweights, aims to bolster President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda by punishing nations that flout U.S. immigration enforcement.
“Countries that refuse to accept their own citizens deported from America for breaking our laws must face serious consequences,” Roy said in a statement. “Their actions undermine our sovereignty and security. America will not, and must not, tolerate the disrespect of our laws by any foreign government.”
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The bill leverages Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows visa restrictions on non-compliant countries, adding a new layer: if defiance persists 180 days after sanctions, all federal aid stops.
The move has rallied support from groups like the Immigration Accountability Project (IAP), NumbersUSA, the Center for Renewing America, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
“This legislation is essential for effective immigration enforcement,” said IAP President Chris Chmielenski, praising its potential to aid Trump’s deportation push. Michael Hough of NumbersUSA added, “Congressman Roy’s legislation will hold countries accountable who refuse to take deported nationals, some of which have entered America illegally and committed crimes here.”
The Deportation Compliance Act—H.R. ll in the 119th Congress—boasts co-sponsors including Reps. Troy Nehls (TX-22), Lauren Boebert (CO-4), Thomas Massie (KY-04), and Andy Biggs (AZ-05), signaling robust GOP backing.
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It builds on Roy’s July 2024 letter to the Biden administration demanding an updated list of “recalcitrant” countries, a roster refreshed in December 2024 that includes nations like China, Cuba, and Venezuela—known for stalling repatriation.
Roy’s bill comes as Trump ramps up plans to deport millions, a cornerstone of his 2025 agenda. The legislation could hit aid-dependent nations hard, potentially cutting billions in economic and military support to force compliance.
Critics, however, warn it risks diplomatic fallout and could strand deportees in limbo if countries call the U.S.’s bluff. Supporters counter that it’s a long-overdue fix for a broken system, with Roy arguing that any foreign aid—if it exists at all—should hinge on respect for U.S. law.
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Introduced amid a charged immigration debate, the Deportation Compliance Act now heads to committee, where it’s poised to test Congress’s appetite for Trump’s border crackdown.
As Roy put it, “To the extent any foreign aid should exist—we should absolutely cut off the flow of cash to those recalcitrant countries.” Whether it passes, the bill marks a defiant shot across the bow at nations dodging America’s deportation orders.
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