Banning Perpetrators of Religious Persecution Act of 2026

This legislation proposes to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to significantly restrict visa issuance to individuals involved in violations of religious freedom. It establishes new grounds for inadmissibility for any alien who, as a foreign government official, was responsible for or directly carried out particularly severe violations of religious freedom , or any alien who, while outside the United States, directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out such violations. A key provision requires the Secretary of State to post the names of all aliens determined to be inadmissible under this clause, along with the countries where the violations occurred, on a publicly accessible Department of State website. However, the Secretary retains the discretion to exclude an alien's identity from public disclosure if it would have adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States, provided a semiannual report is submitted to Congress explaining such exclusions.