Empowering Immigration Courts Act

Bill: 117-s-1051
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
Introduced: 2021-03-25
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Immigration status and procedures

Judges

Judicial procedure and administration

Specialized courts
Latest action: action_date: 2021-03-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-03-25
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Empowering Immigration Courts Act</b></p> <p>This bill authorizes immigration judges to impose a fine for contempt in accordance with the criminal code. Currently, the Department of Justice is authorized to prescribe regulations providing immigration judges with such authority, but has not done so. </p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1051 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 25, 2021 Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify the contempt authority of immigration judges, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Empowering Immigration Courts Act . 2. Contempt authority of immigration judges Section 240(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(1) ) is amended by striking (under regulations prescribed by the Attorney General) to sanction by civil money penalty any action (or inaction) in contempt of the judge's proper exercise of authority under this Act and inserting to sanction by fine contempt of its authority in accordance with section 401 of title 18, United States Code .