July 29, 2025
Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To deny entry into the United States of current or former government officials engaged in the forced repatriation of Uyghurs and other designated aliens to the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Preventing the Forced Return of Uyghurs Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Denial of entry into the United States of current or former officials engaged in the forced repatriation of Uyghurs and other designated aliens to the People’s Republic of China
(a) Denial of entry
(1) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary of State may not issue any visa, and the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security may not admit to the United States or grant any immigration benefit or status to any current or former government official who the Secretary of State determines is or was responsible for, or complicit in, the forced departure from their country of last habitual residence and return to the People’s Republic of China of—
(A)
any Uyghur individual; or
(B)
any alien who—
(i)
is a member of any other ethnic or religious group; and
(ii)
is more likely than not to be subject to persecution by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, as determined by the Secretary of State.
(2) Referral to Office of Foreign Assets Control
Concurrent with the application of paragraph (1) to an official described in that subsection, the Secretary shall refer the matter to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury to determine whether to apply sanctions authorities in accordance with United States law to block the transfer of property and interests in property, and all financial transactions, in the United States involving such official.
(b) Waiver
The Secretary of State may waive the application of subsection (a) with respect to an official described in that subsection if the Secretary determines that—
(1)
such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States; or
(2)
the circumstances that caused the official to be ineligible under that subsection for a visa or an immigration benefit or status have changed sufficiently.
(c) Report
(1) In general
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter until the date on which this section ceases to have effect under subsection (d), the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes, for the period covered by the report—
(A)
information on each official denied admission or an immigration benefit or status under subsection (a)(1); and
(B)
a list of waivers granted under subsection (b), and the justification for each waiver.
(2) Form
Each report submitted under this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.
(3) Appropriate committees of Congress defined
In this subsection, the term appropriate committees of Congress means—
(A)
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
(d) Termination
This section shall cease to have effect on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.