H.R. 57 — Ending Catch and Release Act of 2025

This section revises expedited removal procedures under INA §235(b) (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)) for aliens arriving in or present in the United States without admission. (As background, expedited removal applies summarily to certain inadmissible aliens, typically those lacking valid documents or using fraud, encountered at ports of entry or within 100 miles of the border who have not been continuously present for 14 days; those expressing fear of return are screened for credible fear of persecution or torture before potential asylum proceedings.) Specifically, the section (1) expands expedited removal applicability to aliens inadmissible under INA §212(a)(6)(A) (entry without inspection), (6)(C) (fraud or misrepresentation), or (7) (no valid entry documents) (previously only (6)(C) or (7)); (2) prohibits DHS from paroling or otherwise releasing into the United States any such aliens ordered removed, found to lack credible fear, or subject to asylum or removal proceedings; (3) for aliens arriving by land from a contiguous foreign territory (i.e., Canada or Mexico), permits return to that territory pending credible fear review or §240 removal proceedings (instead of requiring detention); (4) requires DHS to remove aliens lacking credible fear within 72 hours (detaining them if removal is not possible); and (5) raises the credible fear standard to "more likely than not" that the alien could establish asylum eligibility under INA §208 (from "significant possibility," taking into account credibility and known facts).