Special Immigration Bill Grants Green Card to One Named Individual, Bypassing Standard Rules

This piece of legislation, titled “To For the relief of Luana S. Cordeiro,” is a perfect example of what’s known as a private bill. Its purpose is laser-focused: to grant permanent resident status—a green card—to one specific person, Luana S. Cordeiro, even if she doesn't meet the standard requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Essentially, Congress is stepping in to resolve one individual’s immigration case, treating her as if she entered the U.S. lawfully and making her eligible for adjustment of status right away (SEC. 1).

The VIP Immigration Pass

For Luana S. Cordeiro, this bill is a game-changer. It explicitly states that any grounds for removal, deportation, or inadmissibility currently on her record with Homeland Security or the State Department are effectively wiped clean by this law. The Secretary of Homeland Security is required to cancel (rescind) any existing removal or deportation order against her based on those past issues (SEC. 1). Think of it as a legislative reset button for her immigration file. However, this special treatment isn't automatic; she must file her application and pay all necessary fees within two years of the law taking effect.

Who Gets Left Behind?

While this is a massive win for Luana, the bill is very clear about who does not benefit. If you’re one of her natural parents, brothers, or sisters, this bill gives you zero special rights or status under immigration law (SEC. 1). This highlights the highly individualized nature of private bills—they fix one person’s problem but don't extend relief to the family unit, which often happens in standard immigration processes. Furthermore, once she gets her green card, the total number of visas available to people born in her home country is reduced by one, a minor but mandatory technical adjustment to keep the books balanced (SEC. 1).

The Bureaucratic Fine Print

The second section of the bill (SEC. 2) deals with the administrative side of things, specifically how Congress tracks the cost. It requires that the official cost estimate for this bill—the one used for the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) accounting—must be submitted and printed in the Congressional Record before the final vote. This is standard procedure to ensure that even highly specific bills like this one comply with the rules for tracking federal spending and revenue. For the average person, this section just means the legislative body is making sure all its paperwork is in order before granting this unique relief.