# Plain Language Summary: American SAFER Act of 2022

This bill would expand the government's power to quickly remove immigrants from the United States without a full hearing or court process. Currently, immigration officials can use "expedited removal" for certain people caught at or near the border, but this bill would allow them to use it almost anywhere in the country, regardless of how far someone is from the border. So instead of only applying to people caught crossing the border, expedited removal could apply to someone encountered in a city, at an airport, or anywhere else in the U.S.

The bill also gives the Secretary of Homeland Security broad power to decide which groups of immigrants can be quickly removed. This means immigration officials could expand expedited removal to cover almost any category of non-citizens they choose, and they could change these decisions whenever they want without needing approval from Congress or courts. The bill specifically says these decisions cannot be challenged in court, making them essentially unreviewable.

In practical terms, this would mean more immigrants could be deported quickly without getting a hearing before an immigration judge, even if they have valid reasons to stay in the country like family ties, jobs, or asylum claims. People who have lived in the U.S. for years could potentially be removed with minimal legal process. The bill removes geographic limitations, so immigration enforcement could happen far from the border, and it eliminates many of the legal protections that currently exist for people facing removal.

American SAFER Act of 2022

Fallon, Pat

American Safety And Fairness through Expedited Removal Act of 2022 or the American SAFER Act of 2022 This bill expands the classes of non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who are subject to expedited removal (i.e., removal from the United States without further hearing or review). Specifically, the bill nullifies a <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/08/11/04-18469/designating-aliens-for-expedited-removal" target="_self">2004 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule</a>&nbsp;that generally limits expedited removal to certain situations, such as for non-U.S. nationals encountered within 14 days of entry into the United States without inspection and within 100 miles of a U.S. international land border. The bill also (1) prohibits DHS from implementing a rule that limits expedited removal based on how far a non-U.S. national was from the border when encountered or apprehended, and (2) modifies the relevant statute to state that expedited removal authority applies regardless of where the non-U.S. national was encountered or apprehended.