The Land of the Free Act of 2025 repeals the provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that made certain protected speech activities grounds for deportability.
Deborah Ross
Representative
NC-2
The Land of the Free Act of 2025 repeals a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that previously made certain protected speech activities grounds for making an alien deportable. This legislation removes a specific restriction, ensuring that engaging in protected speech will no longer be a basis for removal from the United States under that provision.
Land of the Free Act: Feds Remove Protected Speech as Grounds for Deportation
The aptly named “Land of the Free Act of 2025” is short, but it packs a punch for anyone concerned about civil liberties and immigration law. This bill proposes to repeal a specific provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that currently makes certain non-citizens deportable based on activities related to protected speech.
The Fine Print That’s Getting Wiped Out
What exactly is changing? The bill targets Section 237(a)(4)(C) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4)(C)). This section, in essence, previously allowed the government to initiate removal proceedings against an alien—a non-citizen resident—if they engaged in activities that, while protected for citizens under the First Amendment, could still be used as a reason for deportation under this specific immigration statute. Think of it as a legal asterisk on free speech for non-citizens.
By repealing this entire subsection, the bill eliminates this specific ground for removal. If you’re a non-citizen with legal status (like a green card holder) who speaks out, protests, or engages in protected political activity, the government can no longer use this particular section of the law to try and deport you based on that speech alone.
Why This Matters for Everyday Life
For most people, this sounds like a technical legal fix, but its impact is very real. Imagine you’re a small business owner who immigrated here legally and you’re vocal about a local ordinance that affects your store. Or perhaps you’re a software engineer who participates in a peaceful protest on a weekend. Under the current, soon-to-be-repealed rule, there was a specific pathway for the government to argue that your protected speech activity could jeopardize your right to stay in the U.S.
This repeal strengthens the alignment between immigration law and the spirit of the First Amendment. It essentially says that if an activity is protected speech, it should not be a standalone reason to lose your legal residency in the country. It removes a layer of legal vulnerability for hundreds of thousands of non-citizens who live, work, and contribute here, ensuring they have the same freedom to engage in public life without the fear of immediate removal based on a specific, speech-related statute.