III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 486 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that President Obama should take immediate action to mitigate the humanitarian crisis along the international 

border between the United States and Mexico involving unaccompanied 

migrant children and to prevent future crises. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 26, 2014 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. COATS, Mr. BOOZMAN, and Mr. 

MCCAIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that President Obama 

should take immediate action to mitigate the humanitarian crisis along the international border between the 

United States and Mexico involving unaccompanied migrant children and to prevent future crises. 

Whereas there is a growing humanitarian crisis along the 

international border between the United States and Mexico; 

Whereas the United States welcomes lawful immigrants and 

has established appropriate channels for the lawful admission of refugees; 

Whereas, since October 2013, officials in the Department of 

Homeland Security have apprehended more than 47,000 


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•SRES 486 IS 

unaccompanied migrant children after they crossed that 

border without legal authorization; 

Whereas the majority of these children have arrived in the 

United States through the Rio Grande Valley Sector in 

Texas but the effects of this surge in illegal immigration 

have been felt across the United States; 

Whereas this surge in illegal immigration has undermined the 

ability of the Department of Homeland Security and 

other law enforcement agencies to protect the United 

States from criminal and national security threats; 

Whereas the vast majority of these children have traveled to 

the United States from countries in Central America, a 

journey of more than 1,000 miles that traverses some of 

the most dangerous territory in the Western Hemisphere 

and smuggling routes operated by drug cartels and other 

transnational criminal organizations; 

Whereas these transnational criminal organizations routinely 

commit acts of human trafficking, sexual assault, exploitation, kidnapping, and homicide against children who 

are the victims of their human smuggling operations; 

Whereas children making this journey face other grave dangers such as riding on top of crowded railroad cars, dehydration, heat exposure, and drowning; 

Whereas it is unknown how many children making this journey have perished or become victims of violent crime 

while traveling to the United States; 

Whereas it is the duty of the United States Government to 

identify and provide humanitarian relief to any unaccompanied migrant child who is— 

(1) the victim of a crime; 

(2) a refugee; 


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•SRES 486 IS 

(3) an asylee; or 

(4) eligible for any other form of immigration relief 

under the immigration laws; 

Whereas the current and previous administration, each headed by a President belonging to a different political party, 

have failed to adequately secure the international border 

between the United States and Mexico and enforce the 

immigration laws; 

Whereas, beginning in 2010, President Obama and the Secretary of Homeland Security announced a series of executive actions, public statements, and enforcement decisions 

that have created a misperception outside of the United 

States that children entering the United States without 

legal authorization will receive relief from immigration 

enforcement consequences; 

Whereas these executive actions and the continuing failures 

of President Obama and the Secretary of Homeland Security to adequately secure the international border between the United States and Mexico and enforce the immigration laws are a proximate and material cause of the 

growing humanitarian crisis along the international border between the United States and Mexico; 

Whereas the failure of the United States Government to enforce the immigration laws has undermined trust in the 

commitment of the United States Government to enforcing such laws; 

Whereas the Senate must do everything in its power to mitigate the growing humanitarian threat along the international border between the United States and Mexico 

and to prevent additional unaccompanied migrant chilVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:55 Jun 27, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR486.IS SR486

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•SRES 486 IS 

dren from making the dangerous journey to the United 

States; and 

Whereas this cannot be accomplished until President Obama 

has demonstrated to people of the United States that he 

is serious about stopping this humanitarian crisis and 

preventing similar crises in the future by enforcing the 

immigration laws: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that 

2 President Obama should— 

3 (1) publicly declare that no deferred action pro4 gram granting relief from immigration enforcement 

5 shall apply to any unaccompanied migrant child who 

6 unlawfully enters the United States; 

7 (2) publicly discourage people in Central Amer8 ica and elsewhere from sending their children on a 

9 dangerous journey through Mexico to the United 

10 States; 

11 (3) begin fully enforcing the immigration laws; 

12 (4) ensure that each State that is affected by 

13 the surge in unaccompanied migrant children enter14 ing the United States has the resources needed by 

15 that State to address this crisis while ensuring that 

16 such children are treated humanely; and 

17 (5) work with the Government of Mexico and 

18 the governments of countries in Central America to 

19 improve security along the international borders beVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:55 Jun 27, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR486.IS SR486

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1 tween Mexico and Guatemala, and Mexico and 

2 Belize. 

Æ 


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