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Controversial Bills Tracker: Where They Stand and How to Fight Them

Last checked: October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT. Statuses refresh automatically from the Mississippi Legislature and Congress’s official bill-status data (GovInfo).

Some bills are written in plain sight and passed while few people are watching. This page follows the ones that matter most to our readers, explains what each one actually does, and gives you a plan to act.

Every description comes from the bill’s own text or from reporting linked on its card. Statuses come from the official record.

2 Law2 In committee1 Died1 Stalled1 Passed one chamber
On this page

Bills to watch and oppose

LawMississippi

Mississippi SB 2114 (2026): state immigration crimes and mandatory 287(g) attempts

Latest official action: Approved by Governor (Apr. 8, 2026)
In force since July 1, 2026. Repeals itself July 1, 2028 unless renewed. · checked October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT
What it does
  • Makes entering Mississippi directly from a foreign nation outside a port of entry a misdemeanor with at least 6 months in state custody.
  • Adds an extra felony (at least 2 years; 3 to 5 years for violent or sex offenses) for people convicted of other crimes who are found to be unlawfully present.
  • Required every county agency that runs a jail to make a reasonable attempt to sign a 287(g) agreement with ICE by Oct. 1, 2026, then report quarterly if it has not.
  • Lets the Department of Public Safety work to identify all undocumented residents of the state, including names and addresses.
Why it is controversial
  • Final votes split sharply: 34-16 in the Senate and 76-39 in the House.
  • Turns county sheriffs and the state prison system into immigration enforcers; the Department of Corrections signed all three 287(g) models in May 2026.
Action plan if you oppose it
  1. Ask your sheriff and county board of supervisors whether the county signed a 287(g) agreement, which model, and request a copy under the Mississippi Public Records Act.
  2. Attend board of supervisors meetings when the agreement or jail contracts are on the agenda.
  3. Tell your state senator and representative not to renew the law before it expires on July 1, 2028.
  4. Know your rights and share them: you may stay silent, and you do not have to open your door without a warrant signed by a judge.
  5. Connect with the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (601-968-5182) or the ACLU of Mississippi.
DiedMississippi

Mississippi HB 1484 (2025): the "Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program"

Latest official action: (H) Died In Committee (Feb. 4, 2025)
Not law. Watch for a refiled version when the Legislature returns in January 2027. · checked October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT
What it does
  • Would have made being undocumented in Mississippi a felony, "trespass by an illegal alien," punishable by life without parole.
  • Would have paid $1,000 for a tip that leads to an arrest and imprisonment, through a 24-hour state hotline.
  • Would have certified bail bond and surety recovery agents as state "bounty hunters" for four-year terms.
Why it is controversial
  • A life sentence for presence would keep people in state prisons, where the 13th Amendment's exception allows required work and Mississippi pays nothing for most jobs.
  • Its text is nearly identical to Missouri's SB 72, a sign of a template that can be filed again.
Action plan if you oppose it
  1. Watch the House Judiciary B committee when the 2027 session opens; bills like this die if they are not taken up before committee deadlines.
  2. Call your state representative and ask them to oppose any bounty hunter or life-sentence immigration bill.
  3. Share the primary text, not rumors: link people to the bill itself.
Sources: Bill text as introduced · Our report: Part 2 of the 13th Amendment Loophole series (publishes Oct 16)
StalledMissouri

Missouri SB 72 (2025): the original bounty hunter template

Latest official action: Hearing held in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee; no further action. (2025)
Not law. · checked October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT
What it does
  • Same program as Mississippi HB 1484: $1,000 tips, certified bounty hunters, and a felony of "trespass by an illegal alien" with life without parole.
Why it is controversial
  • The Missouri House speaker said he saw no appetite for it, but the same text reappeared in Mississippi weeks later.
Action plan if you oppose it
  1. Missourians: ask your state senator to oppose any refiled version.
  2. Watch for the same language in other states' bills.
Contacts: Missouri Senate
LawTexas

Texas SB 4 (2023): state crime of illegal entry and state-ordered removal

Latest official action: The full Fifth Circuit dismissed the challenge on standing on April 24, 2026; the law has been enforced since late May 2026. (2026-05)
Being enforced. The court has not ruled on whether it is constitutional. · checked October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT
What it does
  • Makes illegal entry a state crime in Texas and lets state judges order people to leave the country.
Why it is controversial
  • Federal courts had found it likely preempted before the full Fifth Circuit ruled the challengers lacked standing; the dissent said the law is preempted by federal law.
  • It is the model other Fifth Circuit states, including Mississippi, are following.
Action plan if you oppose it
  1. Texans: know your rights and connect with local legal aid before an arrest happens.
  2. Ask your state legislators to repeal it.
Passed one chamberU.S. Congress

SAVE America Act (federal): proof of citizenship to register, photo ID to vote

Latest official action: Considered by Senate (Message from the House considered). (Mar. 26, 2026)
Not law. Passed the House Feb. 11, 2026, 218-213; stalled in the Senate. · checked October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT
What it does
  • Would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, in person, to register to vote, and a photo ID to vote, including a copy with mail ballots.
Why it is controversial
  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said more than 20 million eligible people, mainly poorer people and people of color, would not be able to vote.
  • An attempt to attach it to a reconciliation bill failed 48-50 on April 22, 2026, with four Republicans voting no.
Action plan if you oppose it
  1. Call your two U.S. senators and ask them to oppose the SAVE America Act in any form, including as an amendment to another bill.
  2. Make sure your own documents are in order: know where your birth certificate or passport is.
  3. Check your voter registration before the Nov. 3, 2026 election.

Bills that would close the loophole

These would undo parts of the problem. If you support them, the action plan works the same way.

In committeeU.S. Congress

Abolition Amendment: H.J.Res. 216 / S.J.Res. 214 (remove the 13th Amendment's slavery exception)

Latest official action: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (Sep. 15, 2026) · 54 cosponsors
Senate companion: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sep. 15, 2026)
Proposed constitutional amendment. Needs two-thirds of both chambers, then 38 states. · checked October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT
What it does
  • Would strike "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted" from the ban on slavery and involuntary servitude.
Why it is controversial
  • The exception still allows required, unpaid prison work; Mississippi pays nothing for most prison jobs.
Action plan if you support it
  1. Ask your U.S. representative to cosponsor H.J.Res. 216 and your senators to cosponsor S.J.Res. 214.
  2. Ask your state legislators to remove the same exception from your state constitution, as eight states have done since 2018.
In committeeU.S. Congress

H.R. 7161: No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act

Latest official action: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (Jan. 20, 2026) · 4 cosponsors
Introduced Jan. 20, 2026. · checked October 15, 2026, 9:05 AM CDT
What it does
  • A federal bill aimed at keeping private bounty hunters out of immigration enforcement.
Why it is controversial
  • Bills like Mississippi HB 1484 and Missouri SB 72 would have certified bail and surety agents as immigration bounty hunters.
Action plan if you support it
  1. Ask your U.S. representative to cosponsor H.R. 7161.
  2. Ask House Judiciary Committee members to give it a hearing.

The playbook: how to oppose any bill

  1. Read the bill itself. Use the official legislature or Congress.gov link on each card. Headlines and social posts get details wrong.
  2. Find the committee and your own lawmakers. Most bills die in committee. Calls to committee members before a committee deadline matter most.
  3. Call, then email. Say your name, that you are a constituent, the bill number, and one sentence on why you oppose it. Ask how they will vote.
  4. Testify or submit written comments. Many committees accept public testimony. Short, personal and factual testimony is the most persuasive.
  5. Go local. Sheriffs, county boards and city councils sign 287(g) agreements and jail contracts. Their meetings are public.
  6. Request the records. Agreements, contracts and policies are usually public records. Ask in writing and keep a copy.
  7. Organize. Bring the issue to a church, union, lodge or block club. Groups win what individuals cannot.
  8. Vote, and help others vote. Check your registration well before each election. The next federal election is Nov. 3, 2026.
  9. Know your rights. You may stay silent. Open the door only for a warrant signed by a judge. Never sign what you do not understand.
Read the series behind this page

Download the one-page Bill Watch Action Plan (PDF).

How this tracker works

Each bill’s description, the reasons it is contested and its action plan were written by a person from the sources on its card. A script checks each bill’s status twice a day against the official record and updates this page. If a source cannot be reached, the last confirmed status stays up with the time it was checked.

Know a bill we should add? Send it to us with a link to the official text.

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