I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10504 

To establish in the Department of Homeland Security the Task Force on 

the Reunification of Families, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 18, 2024 

Mrs. RAMIREZ (for herself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of 

California, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

CARBAJAL, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. 

VARGAS, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. CARSON, Mr. GOLDMAN of New York, 

Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mrs. MCIVER, 

Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. TONKO, and Mr. THANEDAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish in the Department of Homeland Security the 

Task Force on the Reunification of Families, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Family Reunification 

5 Task Force Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON THE REUNIFICATION OF FAMILIES. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

3 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home4 land Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State, 

5 the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the At6 torney General, shall establish in the Department of 

7 Homeland Security a task force on the reunification of 

8 families, to be known as the ‘‘Task Force on the Reunifi9 cation of Families’’ (in this section referred to as the 

10 ‘‘Task Force’’). 

11 (b) ACTIVITIES.—The Task Force shall carry out the 

12 following: 

13 (1) Identify all covered children. 

14 (2) Provide recommendations to the Secretary 

15 of Homeland Security concerning the following: 

16 (A) The legal authorities necessary to re17 unite such covered children with their parents 

18 or legal guardians. 

19 (B) The exercise of parole under section 

20 212(d)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nation21 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)(A)) to reunite 

22 such covered children with their parents or legal 

23 guardians. 

24 (C) The issuance of visas or other immi25 gration benefits to reunite such covered children 

26 with their parents or legal guardians. 


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1 (D) The provision of additional services 

2 and support to such covered children and their 

3 parents or legal guardians, including trauma 

4 and mental health services. 

5 (E) Reunification of any additional family 

6 members of such covered children, such as sib7 lings. 

8 (c) CONSULTATION.—In developing the recommenda9 tions under paragraph (2) of subsection (b), the Task 

10 Force shall consult with the following: 

11 (1) Relevant stakeholders, including domestic 

12 and international non-governmental organizations. 

13 (2) Representatives of covered children. 

14 (d) REPORTS.—Not later than 60 days after the es15 tablishment of the Task Force and every 60 days there16 after, the Task Force shall report to the appropriate con17 gressional committees on the activities of the Task Force 

18 during the immediately preceding 60-day period, including 

19 relating to any recommendations under subsection (b)(2) 

20 that require congressional action. 

21 (e) SUNSET.—This Act shall terminate on the date 

22 that is— 

23 (1) 120 days after the date on which all covered 

24 children have been reunited with their parents or 

25 legal guardians, or 


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1 (2) January 20, 2039, 

2 whichever is earliest. 

3 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT5 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com6 mittees’’ means— 

7 (A) in the House of Representatives— 

8 (i) the Committee on Homeland Secu9 rity; 

10 (ii) the Committee on the Judiciary; 

11 (iii) the Committee on Energy and 

12 Commerce; and 

13 (iv) the Committee on Foreign Af14 fairs; and 

15 (B) in the Senate— 

16 (i) the Committee on Homeland Secu17 rity and Governmental Affairs; 

18 (ii) the Committee on the Judiciary; 

19 (iii) the Committee on Health, Edu20 cation, Labor and Pensions; and 

21 (iv) the Committee on Foreign Rela22 tions of the Senate. 

23 (2) COVERED CHILDREN.—The term ‘‘covered 

24 children’’ means all persons who were under the age 

25 of 18 who were separated from their parents or legal 


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1 guardians at the United States–Mexico border be2 tween January 20, 2017, and January 20, 2021, in 

3 connection with the implementation of the Zero-Tol4 erance Policy. 

5 (3) ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY.—The term 

6 ‘‘Zero-Tolerance Policy’’ means— 

7 (A) the policy specified in the Attorney 

8 General’s memorandum of April 6, 2018, enti9 tled ‘‘Zero-Tolerance for Offenses Under 8 

10 U.S.C. § 1325(a)’’; or 

11 (B) any other related policy, program, 

12 practice, or initiative. 

Æ 


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