End DED Act: Bill Seeks to Immediately Cut Funding for Key Deportation Protection Program

This bill, officially titled the End DED Act, is a direct attempt to shut down the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program by pulling its funding. DED is an executive action that has been used since 1990 to allow nationals from specific countries—like those currently covered from Venezuela, Liberia, and Hong Kong—to remain and work legally in the U.S. because returning home would put them in danger. The bill’s core mechanism is blunt: Section 3 strictly prohibits the use of any Federal funds, resources, or fees by any agency—including Homeland Security and the State Department—to carry out the DED program, effectively terminating it immediately regardless of what other laws might say.

The Constitutional Tug-of-War

The driving force behind this bill is the argument that DED is an executive overreach. The bill’s findings (Section 2) argue that while the President claims DED is based on foreign relations powers, giving someone protection from deportation is an immigration benefit—and the Constitution gives Congress almost total authority over immigration. They point out that Congress already created the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program in 1990 to handle similar situations (like war or natural disaster). Basically, Congress is saying, “We built the TPS car for this road, so the President can’t keep using the DED scooter.”

What This Means for Current DED Holders

If the End DED Act passes, the real-world impact would be immediate and severe for thousands of people. DED status holders—nationals from nine specific places, including Haiti, El Salvador, and China—currently have work authorization and protection from deportation. Banning all funding for DED means the program stops running, potentially leaving these individuals without legal status overnight. Imagine you’re a DED holder who has built a life here, working and paying taxes for years. Suddenly, the legal basis for your job and your presence vanishes. This abrupt change could trigger immediate detention or removal proceedings, forcing people back to the very conditions—like civil strife or political instability—that led to DED protection in the first place.

The Administrative Fallout

From a practical standpoint, ending DED through defunding (Section 3) is a drastic move that creates massive administrative uncertainty. The bill offers no transition period, no pathway for DED recipients to switch to TPS, and no guidance for federal agencies on how to process the sudden change in status for these individuals. For the Department of Homeland Security, this means potentially shifting thousands of cases into the enforcement queue instantly. While the bill aims to assert Congressional authority, the execution method risks creating chaos for the individuals and the government agencies tasked with managing immigration status.