Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) plans on introducing a bill to prohibit the deportation of "Dreamers" who are beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the senator told The Nevada Independent in an exclusive interview.

The Fairness for Immigrant Families Act, which Cortez Masto plans on introducing Monday, is a revamped version of a previous 2023 bill that died in committee. New provisions in the latest version would make it more difficult to detain certain immigrants with pending visas and who are witnesses of crime. It would also require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress within 24 hours of detaining or removing a U.S. citizen. 

The bill also includes provisions that were in the older version, including making it easier for long-term immigrants with no criminal record to become lawful permanent residents and requiring high-level approval before the parent of a child who is a U.S. citizen is deported.

As of 2023, about 11,000 DACA recipients were living in Nevada, one of the highest numbers nationwide. The state also has one of the highest per-capita undocumented populations of any state.

"Our immigration system is broken, and we've got to do something about it," Cortez Masto said about why she chose to reintroduce the bill. 

"Not going after the worst of the worst, going after some individual families in our community that have done nothing but pay taxes, be a part of our community … it has had a chilling effect in our community," she added. 

The bill comes as protections for DACA recipients have eroded during the second Trump administration. DACA recipients have traditionally been protected from deportation, but earlier this year a division within the Department of Justice (DOJ) ruled that DACA status alone isn't enough to halt a person's deportation. Advocates and lawmakers have reported that it's been taking months for recipients to have their legal protections renewed, augmenting fears that the program is being gutted.

In its first 10 months, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained more than 260 DACA recipients. It was revealed in June that about 85 DACA recipients who were deported did not have criminal histories. Cortez Masto signed onto a letter in late 2025 asking the administration to clarify how many have been deported since the start of his administration.

DACA recipients must undergo a strict background check every time they renew their application and also must not have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor or be considered a threat to national security or public safety. DACA recipients must renew every two years. 

"I have asked several times … for specific data about what's happening in our detention facilities, in Nevada, to give us accurate data, break it down — who are the hardcore criminals, who are not — and they refuse to," Cortez Masto said. 

Although she couldn't provide specific numbers on DACA recipients, Cortez Masto said that her office has received numerous calls from community members living in fear of deportation, with some being afraid to even go outside. Alongside Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 54 other members of Congress, Cortez Masto introduced a bill in 2025 to protect immigrants from deportation in sensitive locations such as hospitals or churches. 

Cortez Masto said she is working on rallying support for the bill. She said she does not have any leads yet on potential Republican supporters, which would be essential for the bill's eventual passage, considering Republicans control the House, Senate and White House. This could change given the outcomes of the 2026 midterms.

However, support for giving legal status to DACA recipients is higher than for the undocumented population overall, across the political spectrum. There has been an effort in the House to block the deportation of DACA recipients through the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025, but that bill has yet to receive a vote. 

"This is a first step in the conversation to talk to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about what needs to be done," Cortez Masto said.