Congress bars entry and asylum for Hamas attack participants

What it does

This bill amends immigration law to bar entry to and deny all relief (asylum, cancellation of removal, etc.) to any alien who carried out, participated in, planned, financed, or materially supported Hamas attacks against Israel beginning October 7, 2023. It adds Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to the list of terrorist organizations whose members are deportable, and requires the Department of Homeland Security to report annually on enforcement.

Why we flagged it

The bill is a straightforward amendment to immigration law that adds a new ground of inadmissibility and ineligibility for relief based on participation in specified attacks. It is a targeted enforcement provision, not a broader policy reform or carve-out.

What the text implies

• The bill's operative language ('carried out, participated in, planned, financed, afforded material support to, or otherwise facilitated') is broad and may capture persons with tangential involvement or material support provided unknowingly; enforcement will depend on DHS evidentiary standards and case-by-case adjudication.
• The bill does not define 'attacks against Israel initiated by Hamas beginning on October 7, 2023' with precision — it relies on DHS to identify which specific incidents qualify, creating potential for inconsistent application.
• Annual reporting requirement may reveal enforcement patterns and gaps, but the bill does not mandate public disclosure — reports go to Congress only, limiting transparency to the public.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill restricts immigration benefits to a narrow class of foreign nationals (those involved in Hamas attacks on Israel), not to U.S. citizens or residents. It does not expand government power over citizens, reduce civil rights, or impose costs on the public. It reflects a policy judgment that certain foreign nationals should be barred from entry and relief — a standard immigration enforcement mechanism.

Named in the bill

Department of Homeland Security, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Palestine Liberation Organization, Immigration and Nationality Act, Congress

Where it stands

19 cosponsors: 19 Republicans.

• Jan 3, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 3, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary and Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
• Feb 26, 2025 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Feb 26, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote”
• Dec 1, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4926)”
• Dec 1, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. McClintock moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $350,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 48 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Tom McClintock, the sponsor, reported $165,376 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• J Street — $340,000 on 2 filings
• National Immigration Law Center (nilc) — $10,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.