This legislation, titled the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2026, seeks to protect specific nationals of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam from detention and removal from the United States. To be eligible, individuals must have entered the U.S. on or before January 1, 2008, and maintained continuous residency since that time. For those who meet these criteria, the bill prohibits their removal and grants them permanent employment authorization, with renewable five-year work permits. It also significantly reduces the burden of periodic in-person check-ins for those under supervision orders, allowing for virtual appearances not more than once every five years.

A key provision of the bill mandates the Attorney General to reopen and reconsider past immigration cases for eligible individuals. This applies to Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese nationals who faced removal, deportation, exclusion, or voluntary departure between April 24, 1996, and the Act's enactment, provided they would have been protected under this new law. Upon reopening, all prior removal proceedings must be terminated with prejudice, and any existing removal orders vacated, effectively deeming the individual as never having been removed for immigration purposes. The bill also waives certain procedural deadlines and requirements for these motions and provides for government-funded transportation for eligible individuals to return to the U.S. for new proceedings.

Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security is required to provide notice of these new provisions to all eligible aliens within 60 days of the Act's enactment, including instructions on how to file motions to reopen their cases. The bill also establishes a mechanism for judicial review, allowing individuals harmed by a violation of this Act to file an action in federal district court for declaratory or injunctive relief. Such actions may proceed as class actions, ensuring broad protection and enforcement of the bill's provisions.