Empowering Immigration Courts Act
This bill authorizes immigration judges to impose a fine for contempt in accordance with the criminal code. Currently, the Department of Justice is authorized to prescribe regulations providing immigration judges with such authority, but has not done so.
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify the contempt 
        authority of immigration judges, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Empowering Immigration Courts Act''.

SEC. 2. CONTEMPT AUTHORITY OF IMMIGRATION JUDGES.

    Section 240(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1229a(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``(under regulations prescribed by 
the Attorney General) to sanction by civil money penalty any action (or 
inaction) in contempt of the judge's proper exercise of authority under 
this Act'' and inserting ``to sanction by fine contempt of its 
authority in accordance with section 401 of title 18, United States 
Code''.
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Empowering Immigration Courts Act
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify the contempt authority of immigration judges, and for other purposes.
Empowering Immigration Courts Act
Rep. Gallagher, Mike