Contact Congress about H.R. 3101: SHIELD Act

This bill would fund more lawyers and trained helpers for people in deportation cases. It would also help groups build the staff, tools, and systems needed to provide that help.

Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.

SHIELD Act is a House bill in committee. The latest recorded action: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Latest action on H.R. 3101: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Who this affects: This bill mainly affects people facing deportation who need legal help. It also affects the states, cities, nonprofits, community groups, and schools that provide or build immigration legal services. The bill could matter most in places with few immigration attorneys or few publicly funded deportation defense programs.

Why this matters: People in deportation cases often must handle complex immigration law without a lawyer. This bill tries to change that by funding more legal workers, training, language help, and support systems. It could help service groups take more cases and reach places with major gaps. The bill does not say exactly how much it would change case outcomes, detention, or family stability; that would depend on where grants go and how well programs work.

Key provisions in H.R. 3101

• Creates a competitive federal grant program to expand legal help for people facing deportation. The Attorney General would run it through the Office of Access to Justice.
• States and local governments could apply if they already fund immigration-related legal services. Community groups, nonprofits, and schools could also apply if they provide or build those services.
• Grant money must help build the immigration legal services workforce and support systems. It can fund hiring, training, technical help, language training, hard-case support, leadership, coordination, staff retention, diversity efforts, and related infrastructure.
• Each grant would last four years. A grantee could apply to renew it.
• Grantees could give part of the money to other organizations or local governments. They could do this through subawards or contracts for allowed work.

How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 3101

You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.

Questions people ask about H.R. 3101

What is H.R. 3101?

This bill would fund more lawyers and trained helpers for people in deportation cases. It would also help groups build the staff, tools, and systems needed to provide that help.

How do I support or oppose H.R. 3101?

Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.

Who should I contact about H.R. 3101?

Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.

Can Modern Action explain H.R. 3101 before I act?

Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.