WASHINGTON —Today, House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), along with Representatives Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA) and Analilia Mejia (D-NJ), introduced the Businessowner Immigration Rights and Responsibilities Information Act (BIRRIA) of 2026, legislation requiring the Small Business Administration (SBA) to create and distribute “know-your-rights” materials for small business owners and employees.
Small businesses across the country have found themselves in the crosshairs of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. Agents have detained owners and workers, disrupted operations, and in some cases entered private areas of businesses without a judicial warrant. General know-your-rights resources exist for workers, but they do not address the unique legal questions small businesses face, including which areas of a business law enforcement can access without a warrant. Many owners are unaware of these distinctions, and enforcement agents have exploited that knowledge gap.
“Small business owners should not need a law degree to protect their rights when ICE shows up at their door,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. “The Trump administration is counting on fear and confusion to curtail the rights of American entrepreneurs. This bill makes sure Main Street businesses know their rights and can protect their livelihoods and their employees.”
“Immigrants are twice as likely to start a business than native born citizens. Their contributions are essential to growing our economy. The Trump administration continues to deny immigrant entrepreneurs their basic Constitutional rights and sow fear and confusion in our communities by using ICE to attack and intimidate the Immigrant workforce that is crucial to so many small businesses. This bill will ensure they are all aware of their full legal protections. The SBA should be the first place small business owners can turn to for guidance,” said Congressman Gil Cisneros
“When ICE shows up at a small business, the owners and employees are often left to figure out their rights on the spot, with agents counting on their fear and confusion to gain access. This bill gives the SBA the tools it needs to be a real partner to small business owners in New Jersey and nationwide, supporting them before, during, and after an immigration enforcement action. When people know their rights ahead of time, intimidation loses its power,” said Congresswoman Analilia Mejia
BIRRIA would require the SBA to develop and maintain educational modules on the rights and responsibilities of small business owners and employees during and after immigration enforcement actions, an electronic and printed know-your-rights card, and compliance and planning materials to help businesses prepare for potential enforcement encounters, I-9 audits, and inspections.
The materials would cover constitutional protections such as the right to remain silent, the right to refuse to sign documents, the right to see a signed judicial search warrant before agents enter private areas, and the right to speak to a lawyer immediately upon arrest or detention. They would also include best practices for employers on complying with immigration and work authorization requirements.
Under the bill, the SBA must make the modules available on its existing e-learning platform, post the card and compliance materials on its district and regional office websites, and distribute physical copies through those offices and the agency’s resource partners. The materials must be translated into the 15 most commonly spoken languages in the United States other than English, as well as American Sign Language, and the SBA must establish them within 180 days of enactment.
The legislation builds on ongoing work by Committee Democrats to protect immigrant entrepreneurs. In July 2025, the Committee, in collaboration with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, published multilingual know-your-rights cards for small business owners. The Committee has also released two staff reports documenting the contributions immigrants make to the small business economy and the damage the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is inflicting on Main Street.
BIRRIA is endorsed by Small Business Majority, the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Main Street Alliance, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC.
“Main Street is clearly being damaged by existing immigration policy: Small Business Majority's research found almost half of small businesses reported negative impacts from immigration activity, including 16% that said they've lost revenue. Although significant reforms are needed to reduce the harms to our economy caused by raids, arrests and other actions, a great place to start is by making small businesses and their employees aware of their rights during times of increased immigration activity. But we must also go further by adopting policies that do not disrupt America's economy, do not make small business owners, their employees and their customers feel unsafe, and do not prevent small businesses from accessing the labor force needed to succeed,” said Alexis D'Amato Falvey, Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs, Small Business Majority
“I am proud to endorse this piece of legislation because it would give entrepreneurs and their employees clear, practical guidance to better understand their legal and constitutional rights, help owners meet their responsibilities under immigration and work-authorization laws, and prepare themselves and their employees for potential immigration enforcement actions. Entrepreneurs should not be left scrambling for reliable information amid confusing, disruptive immigration raids. I commend Ranking Member Velázquez for leading this bill. She understands that small business owners, including Hispanics, frequently operate with limited legal resources, and this bill will help reduce uncertainty, strengthen compliance, and minimize unnecessary disruption on Main Street,” said Javier Palomarez, President and CEO, USHBC
“There is something unsettling about asking people to obey the law while leaving them to discover their constitutional rights in the middle of a raid. LULAC supports this bill because knowledge is often the only thing standing between order and intimidation,” said Dr. Ray Serrano, National Director of Research and Policy, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
“Small business owners deserve to know their rights, and too many don't. ICE raids have hit Main Street hard, sweeping up shop owners, workers, and even U.S. citizens with no accountability. Small businesses aren't like a private home or a job site, there are legal distinctions owners need to understand to protect themselves and their employees. Our work defending members' rights in Minnesota shows what's possible when business owners have the right information, and now we need to bring that same protection to every community in the country. This bill gives the SBA a clear mandate to arm business owners everywhere with accurate, current information instead of leaving them to face federal agents blind to their own rights,” said Shawn Phetteplace, National Campaigns Director, Main Street Alliance
“Asian American and Asian immigrant workers and businessowners have been integral in building local economies across the country that benefit everyone. But too many small businesses are being forced to navigate immigration enforcement actions without clear, reliable information about their rights and responsibilities. The Businessowner Immigration Rights and Responsibilities Information Act would help close that dangerous knowledge gap by ensuring that business owners and employees can access practical, multilingual resources before an enforcement action occurs.
“Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC is proud to support this legislation and thanks Representatives Velázquez, Cisneros, and Mejia for standing with immigrant-owned businesses and protecting the rights, livelihoods, and dignity of people across Main Street America,” said Joanna Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights and National Security at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC.
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
###
