What does Preamble of SHIELD Act do?

This bill authorizes the Attorney General to provide grants to States, units of local government, and organizations. The grants are intended to support the recruitment, training, and development of staff and infrastructure. The purpose of these efforts is to support the due process rights of individuals facing removal.

What does SHORT TITLES. of SHIELD Act do?

This Act is formally titled the 'Securing Help for Immigrants through Education and Legal Development Act' or the 'SHIELD Act'.

What does DEFINITIONS. of SHIELD Act do?

This section defines terms used within the Act. “Individual facing removal” is defined as an individual in proceedings under specific sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225(b), 1228, 1229a, and 1231(a)(5)). “Service area” refers to the jurisdiction or geographical area where an entity conducts activities using funds awarded under this Act. “State” includes the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. “Unit of local government” has the meaning defined in section 901(a)(3) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251(a)(3)).

What does IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES STAFF AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT of SHIELD Act do?

This section establishes a program to award grants for workforce development and capacity building within immigration legal services. Eligible entities for these grants include state or local governments, community-based organizations, nonprofits, and educational institutions. Funds must be used to expand legal representation for individuals facing removal, grow the legal services infrastructure, and enhance long-term capacity. Permissible uses of funds include workforce recruitment and training, technical assistance, coordination services, retention improvement strategies, and infrastructure development. Grant recipients may contract with or subaward funds to other organizations or local government units. Recipients must certify that grant fund uses are consistent with the section and submit annual reports detailing services provided, expenditures, and unmet needs. Grants have an initial term of four years and may be renewed.

What does AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF THE ADMINISTERING AGENCY. of SHIELD Act do?

The Director of the Office for Access to Justice is authorized to create rules, policies, and procedures to administer the grant program established by this Act. Grantmaking procedures must be competitive to identify recipients. Grants should target objectives including advancing a legal services workforce, establishing a national legal services infrastructure, and promoting long-term capacity growth. The Act prioritizes supporting state and local governments providing legal defense funding and addressing areas with inadequate representation. The Attorney General, through the Director, must exercise authority independently to increase access to representation for individuals facing removal, separate from other immigration enforcement priorities.

What does REPORTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. of SHIELD Act do?

This section establishes reporting and accountability requirements for grantees receiving funds under this Act. Grantees must submit annual reports to the Attorney General detailing the effectiveness of their activities, including evaluations as reasonably required. The Inspector General of the Department of Justice will conduct audits of grantees beginning in the first fiscal year after December 13, 2016, to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Grantees with unresolved audit findings may receive technical assistance to resolve issues and prevent future findings. Applicants without unresolved audit findings in the preceding three years will receive priority when the Attorney General awards grants. Nonprofit agencies receiving grants must adhere to specific requirements, including prohibitions against using offshore accounts to avoid taxes. Nonprofit agencies disclosing compensation processes must provide detailed information to the Attorney General, which may be made publicly available. Conference expenditures under this section are limited to $100,000 and require prior written authorization from the Deputy Attorney General. The Deputy Attorney General must submit an annual report to congressional committees on approved conference expenditures. The Attorney General must submit an annual certification to congressional committees confirming the completion and review of final audit reports.

What does AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. of SHIELD Act do?

This section authorizes appropriations to the Department of Justice. The authorized amount is $100,000,000. These appropriations are for carrying out the purposes of this Act. The authorization covers fiscal years 2026 through 2027.

What does RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. of SHIELD Act do?

This section clarifies that the Act does not prevent respondents from obtaining legal counsel at no cost to the government. Respondents may be eligible for counsel under sections 240(b)(4) and 292 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Back to bills

SHIELD Act

Last updated: 3/19/2026 · Introduced: 3/19/2026

Author: Edward Markey (D-MA)

TL;DR (AI)

The SHIELD Act authorizes the Attorney General to provide grants to states, local governments, and organizations to support the recruitment, training, and development of staff and infrastructure related to due process rights for individuals facing removal proceedings.
The bill establishes a grant program to expand legal representation and build capacity within immigration legal services, targeting state and local governments and organizations like nonprofits and educational institutions.
Grant funds can be used for workforce development, technical assistance, infrastructure improvements, and coordination services to enhance long-term capacity in providing legal support.
The Act mandates annual reporting and audits of grantees to ensure accountability and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, prioritizing applicants with clean audit records.
The bill authorizes $100,000,000 in appropriations over two fiscal years (2026-2027) to carry out the Act’s purposes and clarifies that it does not restrict individuals’ eligibility for free legal counsel.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

Verified Votes

No verified votes yet.

Community Votes

No community votes yet. Be the first!

Voting as guest · Sign in for verified votes

Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short titles., and 6 more.

8 sections

Click "Show details" to explore individual sections. Use the community vote above or visit All Sections to vote per section.

Read official text

Want the full experience?

Create a free account to cast verified votes on each section, get a personalized summary, and track your voting history.

Create Free Account