Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026

If enacted, non-citizens convicted of any fraud offense targeting federal or state benefits programs—including first-time offenders—would face automatic deportation with no waiver, cancellation of removal, or asylum protection available. This contrasts with current law, which allows judges discretion to grant waivers or relief for certain offenses based on hardship, family ties, and length of residence. An estimated 11–15 million non-citizens currently reside in the U.S., with millions more seeking admission; expanding deportation grounds while eliminating all relief mechanisms will increase deportations. State benefit programs (which serve mixed-status populations) will see reduced fraud from non-citizens but may also experience administrative costs enforcing stricter verification. Analogous provisions in other countries (e.g., Australia's mandatory visa cancellation for crimes) have resulted in deportations of long-term residents and separated families. No CBO cost estimate is available in the bill text; fiscal impact depends on current fraud conviction rates among non-citizens and the cost of deportations.