U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are backing a border bill aimed at reducing child trafficking and asylum fraud by changing how migrant families and unaccompanied children are handled after entering the United States.
The Stopping Border Surges Act, introduced by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), would make several changes to federal immigration law governing family detention, unaccompanied minors and asylum claims. Both Alabama senators are cosponsors.
“Thankfully, President Trump has locked down our borders after Joe Biden let millions of illegals invade our country,” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said. “But unfortunately, we still have loopholes that are incentivizing illegals to come to the United States.”
“Proud to join Sen. Mike Lee in introducing legislation to make sure we are not actively encouraging illegal immigration,” he added.
One provision would allow children who arrive with a parent to remain detained with that parent while certain immigration proceedings are pending. The legislation states there would be no presumption against detention for minors who are not classified as unaccompanied children and gives the Department of Homeland Security authority over those detention decisions.
The bill would also prohibit DHS from releasing such a minor to anyone other than a parent or legal guardian who is lawfully present in the United States. For parents charged only with misdemeanor illegal entry who arrived with their child, DHS would be directed to detain the parent and child together while the charge is pending.
Supporters argue those changes would reduce incentives for smugglers to use children to gain entry into the country.
“Illegal border crossings not only endanger Americans; they also incentivize the abuse and trafficking of migrant women and children,” Britt (R-Montgomery) said. “Now is the time to pass the Stopping Border Surges Act to permanently close these loopholes that embolden criminals and bad actors.”
The legislation would also broaden rules for returning unaccompanied minors that currently distinguish between children from countries bordering the United States and those from elsewhere. It additionally proposes a series of asylum changes, including new safe-third-country provisions, a shorter deadline for filing asylum applications and tougher penalties for asylum fraud.
The bill is also cosponsored by Republican Sens. Jim Banks of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida.
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
