# What the Detain and Deport Gang Members Act Would Do

This bill would make it significantly easier for the federal government to detain and deport immigrants who are suspected of being gang members. Right now, immigration officials need specific evidence of criminal activity to detain someone. Under this bill, they could detain and deport someone based on gang membership alone, even without proving they personally committed any crime.

The bill creates a broad definition of what counts as a "criminal gang"—basically any group of five or more people that engages in serious crimes like drug trafficking, violence, human trafficking, or money laundering. The Secretary of Homeland Security could officially designate groups as criminal gangs, and once designated, any member of that gang becomes automatically deportable. This applies to both people who entered the country illegally and legal immigrants. The bill also closes off several legal protections that immigrants currently have, including asylum claims, temporary protected status, and special visas for vulnerable youth—all of which would be denied to anyone labeled as a gang member.

The practical effect is that someone could potentially be detained and deported based on association with a group, rather than their own criminal conduct. The bill also makes it harder to challenge these designations in court. While designated groups can petition to have the designation removed after two years, the government can use classified information that the group never gets to see or respond to. For immigrants facing deportation, this means fewer opportunities to argue their case before being removed from the country.