Editor’s note: CHN sent this letter to all House of Representatives offices on March 18, 2026.

The Coalition on Human Needs urges Members of Congress to vote no on H.R. 1958, the so-called Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026. CHN is a national coalition of organizations working to promote policies that ensure people with low incomes and other vulnerable communities can meet their basic needs. Our members include civil rights groups, faith organizations, labor unions, service providers, and policy advocates who work across the country to strengthen programs that support food security, health care, housing stability, and economic opportunity.

Although the bill is presented as an anti-fraud measure, H.R. 1958 primarily expands immigration penalties rather than strengthening program integrity. The legislation would make a wide range of fraud related offenses grounds for deportation, inadmissibility, and ineligibility for immigration relief. Under this bill, an error by a benefits worker could trigger deportation. Some of the offenses listed include relatively minor violations connected to public benefits programs. In effect, the bill creates severe immigration consequences for conduct that is already addressed through existing criminal and administrative enforcement systems.

Fraud is already illegal and punishable under federal law. Individuals who commit fraud can face criminal charges, fines, and restitution. Noncitizens convicted of fraud offenses already face serious immigration consequences under current law. Because of this, the bill is largely duplicative while expanding the scope of immigration penalties in ways that could expose people to deportation for relatively minor offenses or mistakes in complicated benefits systems.

Programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and other public benefits depend on complex eligibility rules that are often administered by state agencies. Eligibility determinations can be difficult, particularly when immigration categories and federal benefit rules intersect. Workers may make mistakes when determining eligibility or applicants may misunderstand complicated application requirements. Under the framework created by H.R. 1958, these kinds of errors could potentially expose individuals to harsh immigration penalties.

The bill also raises significant due process concerns. It does not limit immigration penalties to people convicted of fraud offenses. Instead, immigration consequences could also be triggered by a person being considered to have admitted to the elements of an offense during questioning by immigration officials, likely without an attorney present. This creates the possibility that individuals could face deportation without the safeguards that normally accompany a criminal prosecution.

At the same time, the legislation ignores where the largest sources of fraud in the United States actually occur. Each year the federal government loses billions of dollars to fraud and financial crimes, much of it connected to wealthy individuals who evade taxes, corporations with major government contracts, or companies submitting fraudulent claims to federal programs. Investigations have identified hundreds of millionaires who collectively owe billions of dollars in unpaid taxes yet face few consequences.

Documented defense contracting fraud has cost taxpayers well over a billion dollars annually, and federal health programs have uncovered billions in fraudulent billing from private health care companies. Despite this reality, funding for IRS enforcement has been reduced and several Inspectors General responsible for government oversight have been removed.

Organizations in the CHN network work every day with families who rely on programs like SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance, and child care to meet their basic needs.  Many are families with some citizen members and some with varying immigration status.  H.R. 1958 would worsen the existing climate of fear that discourages families from accessing services for which they are legally eligible. When families avoid food assistance, health care, or child care because they fear immigration consequences, the result is greater hardship for children and communities.

Congress should focus on strengthening oversight systems and investing in effective fraud prevention tools rather than expanding deportation authorities or advancing policies that stigmatize immigrant communities.

For these reasons, the Coalition on Human Needs strongly urges you to vote no on H.R. 1958.

Sincerely yours,

Deborah Weinstein 
Executive Director