- Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto reintroduced the Fairness for Immigrant Families Act on July twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six.
- The bill would reopen 245(i) adjustment opportunities for some undocumented immigrants with U.S.-citizen relatives.
- Advocates are urging voters to help shift Congress before the midterms in less than 70 days.
Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is asking voters to help revive the Fairness for Immigrant Families Act after reintroducing the measure on July 28, 2026. Immigrant advocates are looking to the 2026 midterms for momentum that Congress has not yet provided.
The legislation is the senator’s third attempt to move the package through Congress. It would address legal status, detention, deportation, immigration fraud and government delays.
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The election is less than 70 days away. Cortez Masto is presenting turnout as the pressure point.
She made the appeal on Wednesday, August 27, 2026, at the East Las Vegas Community Center. Immigration groups in Nevada joined the event.
Cortez Masto, the first Latina in the Senate, said supporters must press elected officials and participate in the election. She used two short directives: “demand it” and “show up at the polls.”
“It is up to the Americans and individuals in this community who want to stand with our neighbors, want to stand with our friends, want to stand with the essential workforce in our community, and say, no, we’re with you, and we are going to push back.”
The bill faces steep odds in Washington.
President Donald Trump would likely veto the legislation. Supporters would then need a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to override him.
As of the July 29 report, no Republican senators had indicated support. The bill also had no companion in the U.S. House.
Cortez Masto acknowledged that Republican backing would be needed for passage. Advocates are instead pointing toward the coming election as a way to alter those political conditions.
The proposal would reopen an old adjustment opportunity
The bill would reopen 245(i) adjustment opportunities under INA § 245(i) for some undocumented immigrants with U.S.-citizen family members. Eligible applicants covered by the proposal could pay a fine and seek a green card without leaving the United States.
That provision is aimed at people who have lived in the country for decades. The legislation would also simplify pathways to citizenship for some longtime undocumented immigrants.
The proposal does not stop at family-based adjustment. It also sets out protections for people facing removal and remedies for victims of fraudulent immigration assistance.
| Proposed provision | People or institutions affected | What the bill would do |
|---|---|---|
| Status adjustment | Some undocumented immigrants with U.S.-citizen family members | Reopen INA § 245(i) opportunities, allowing a fine and a green-card application from inside the United States |
| Detention and deportation protections | DACA recipients, parents of U.S. citizen children and certain immigrants with pending applications | Add protections while cases are being resolved |
| Removal review | Parents or legal guardians of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident child under 21 | Require the ICE director to personally review and approve removal, without delegation |
| Family assistance | U.S. citizen children who leave the country to stay with a deported parent | Direct the State Department to create a dedicated office to help them |
| Fraud response | States and victims of fraudulent immigration schemes | Provide grants against notario fraud, criminalize fraudulent schemes and allow some victims to reopen botched cases after standard deadlines |
| Agency reporting | DHS and the public | Require detailed data on immigration fees, adjudication backlogs and delays |
The removal provisions would cover DACA recipients, parents of U.S. citizen children and some immigrants with pending applications. They would add limits on detention and deportation while qualifying matters remain unresolved.
One provision would place a parent or legal guardian under heightened review. The ICE director would have to personally review and approve removal of a parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident child under 21.
The director could not delegate that decision. The bill would therefore assign the review to the agency’s top immigration-enforcement official.
Another provision would reach children who leave the country. The State Department would create a dedicated office to help U.S. citizen children who go abroad to stay with a deported parent.
Fraud provisions would give states grants to combat notario fraud. The legislation would also criminalize fraudulent immigration schemes.
Some victims could reopen botched cases after standard deadlines. That would create a potential remedy for people whose immigration matters were mishandled through fraudulent assistance.
The package also directs the Department of Homeland Security to report detailed financial and administrative information. The required data would cover immigration fees, adjudication backlogs and delays.
The package reaches crime victims, witnesses and workers with ties to the United States
The measure is aimed at more than long-term undocumented residents. Its covered groups include DACA recipients, parents of U.S. citizens, crime victims and witnesses.
It also addresses people seeking status adjustment through family or employer ties. The package combines those eligibility routes with detention limits, anti-fraud enforcement and agency reporting.
That breadth gives the bill several constituencies. It also places multiple policy areas inside one proposal.
The legislation was discussed alongside Nevada immigration groups at the August 27 event. The senator linked those community networks to the electoral effort surrounding the bill.
Cortez Masto has framed the campaign as a test of whether public pressure can overcome resistance in Congress. The political path remains tied to the composition of both chambers and the White House.
Advocates are counting on fewer than 70 days before the midterms
Immigration advocates say voters may offer the bill its best chance of survival as the midterms approach. They are urging supporters to turn community organizing into electoral pressure.
Cortez Masto said voters must “demand the changes that we want” and “push back” against administration policies they view as harmful. She also urged them to “show up at the polls.”
The midterms are less than 70 days away. The election calendar now stands between the bill’s reintroduction and its next test in Congress.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
