Banning Perpetrators of Religious Persecution Act of 2026
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
This bill restricts visas for individuals who have directed or participated in religious persecution internationally. While focused on immigration policy, it indirectly affirms U.S. commitment to religious freedom principles that protect families' ability to practice faith freely.
Why it matters: The law reinforces that religious freedom is a core American value worthy of legal protection, which strengthens the foundation for defending religious rights of families domestically—including Christian families' rights to religious education and conscience protections.
Topic: Religious freedom & expression · classifier confidence 58%
What this changes
Amends existing law
Law today: Current immigration law under the Immigration and Nationality Act allows visa issuance to foreign nationals unless they fall into specific categories of ineligibility. The bill does not detail the current visa grounds of refusal.
If passed: This bill would add a new ground for visa denial: individuals who have directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom would be barred from entering or remaining in the United States. For Christian families, this could mean that foreign nationals who have persecuted Christians abroad—or members of any religion—would be blocked from U.S. entry.
AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.
Likely supporters & opponents
Likely support
- Religious-liberty advocacy organizations — Using immigration law to punish religious persecutors protects persecuted believers worldwide and prevents abusers from finding safe haven in America.
- Christian persecution-awareness groups — The bill directly targets those responsible for attacks on Christian minorities in hostile nations, affirming U.S. commitment to religious freedom as a core value.
Likely opposition
- Immigration-reform groups focused on due process — Defining and proving 'violations of religious freedom' and 'significant support' may be vague, burdensome to adjudicate, and risk denying visas on unreliable evidence.
- Civil-liberties organizations — Broad language about 'violations of religious freedom' could be weaponized to deny visas based on political or sectarian disagreements rather than genuine persecution.
AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.
Should I support this?
Likely helpful for Christian families
The bill aligns with Christian values by using U.S. immigration law to shield religious persecution and deny entry to those who have harmed believers. It affirms religious freedom as a fundamental criterion in visa policy, which most Christian parents would view as a positive defense of conscience and faith worldwide.
An AI assessment from a Christian-family perspective — religious freedom, parental rights, and freedom in education — not legal or voting advice.
Official summary
A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict visa issuance to individuals who have directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom.
Sponsors
- Ted Budd (R)
- Marsha Blackburn (R)
- Ashley Moody (R)
- Tom Cotton (R)
- Jim Banks (R)
- John Kennedy (R)
- James Lankford (R)
- Ted Cruz (R)
Status timeline
- 2026-01-15Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.S
H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly