I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6392 

To establish a Department of Homeland Security integrated border intelligence analytical cell and Joint Task Force to combat transnational 

criminal organizations exploiting migration surges, strengthen cross-border partnerships, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 13, 2023 

Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself and Mr. DUARTE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish a Department of Homeland Security integrated 

border intelligence analytical cell and Joint Task Force 

to combat transnational criminal organizations exploiting 

migration surges, strengthen cross-border partnerships, 

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 ‘‘Border Security and 

5 Migrant Safety Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. BORDER SECURITY AND MIGRANT SAFETY. 

2 (a) DHS INTEGRATED BORDER INTELLIGENCE ANA3 LYTICAL CELL.—The Secretary of Homeland Security 

4 shall establish within the National Targeting Center of 

5 U.S. Customs and Border Protection a dedicated intel6 ligence cell focused on sharing information regarding con7 centrated surges of migrants arriving at the land border 

8 of the United States, and illicit smuggling and trafficking 

9 that may pose a border security, homeland security, public 

10 health, or other threat to the land border of the United 

11 States. Such cell shall integrate intelligence capabilities 

12 from across the Department of Homeland Security to 

13 carry out the following: 

14 (1) Develop intelligence products to improve the 

15 Department’s ability to track, prepare for, and man16 age in a humane and effective manner concentrated 

17 surges of migrants arriving along the land border of 

18 the United States. 

19 (2) Report on transnational criminal organiza20 tions exploiting migrating populations and migration 

21 routes to smuggle narcotics and other illicit goods 

22 across the land border of the United States. 

23 (3) Support Federal efforts to dismantle or dis24 rupt illicit smuggling and trafficking along the land 

25 border of the United States. 


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1 (4) Report on communications by transnational 

2 criminal organizations and other malicious actors 

3 that seek to encourage illicit migrant travel to the 

4 United States. 

5 (5) Develop other related intelligence products 

6 that support the Department’s border security oper7 ations. 

8 (b) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY JOINT

9 TASK FORCE TO COMBAT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL

10 ORGANIZATIONS EXPLOITING MIGRATION SURGES.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection 

12 (b)(11) of section 708 of the Homeland Security Act 

13 of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 348), not later than 180 days 

14 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec15 retary of Homeland Security shall, pursuant to such 

16 section, establish a departmental Joint Task Force 

17 to conduct operations using personnel and capabili18 ties of the Department of Homeland Security to 

19 combat human trafficking and smuggling along the 

20 land border of the United States for the purpose 

21 specified in clause (i) of subsection (b)(2)(A) of such 

22 section. Such task force shall— 

23 (A) pay particular attention to 

24 transnational criminal organizations that target 

25 foreign nationals, particularly children and famVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:17 Nov 22, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6392.IH H6392

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1 ilies, for smuggling and trafficking across the 

2 land border of the United States; and 

3 (B) when appropriate, refer to the Attor4 ney General for prosecution border-related 

5 criminal activity. 

6 (2) PERFORMANCE METRICS.—Consistent with 

7 subsection (b)(9) of section 708 of the Homeland 

8 Security Act of 2002, the Secretary of Homeland 

9 Security shall establish and submit to the appro10 priate congressional committees performance metrics 

11 to evaluate the effectiveness of the Joint Task Force 

12 established pursuant to paragraph (1). Such per13 formance metrics shall include outcome-based 

14 metrics associated with efforts to combat human 

15 trafficking and smuggling across the land border of 

16 the United States, including information on effec17 tiveness at identifying transnational criminal organi18 zations engaged in such activity, the sharing of in19 formation regarding such organizations, efforts to 

20 dismantle or disrupt such activity by such organiza21 tions, and investigative contributions to the prosecu22 tion of such organizations. 

23 (3) QUARTERLY REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not 

24 later than four months after the establishment of 

25 the Joint Task Force pursuant to paragraph (1) and 


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1 every four months thereafter until such Joint Task 

2 Force is disbanded by the Secretary of Homeland 

3 Security in accordance with paragraph (4), the Di4 rector of such Joint Task Force shall report to the 

5 appropriate congressional committees on the activi6 ties of such Joint Task Force during the preceding 

7 four-month period. 

8 (4) DISBANDING OF JOINT TASK FORCE.—The 

9 Secretary of Homeland Security shall— 

10 (A) upon establishment of the Joint Task 

11 Force pursuant to paragraph (1), report to the 

12 appropriate congressional committees the cri13 teria to be applied by the Secretary before mak14 ing a determination to disband such Joint Task 

15 Force; and 

16 (B) not later than 15 days prior to dis17 banding such Joint Task Force, submit to such 

18 committees a justification relating thereto. 

19 (5) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT20 TEES DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘ap21 propriate congressional committees’’ means the com22 mittees specified in subparagraph (F) of section 

23 708(b)(6) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. 


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1 (6) REPEAL OF SUNSET.—Paragraph (13) of 

2 section 708(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 

3 2002 is repealed. 

4 (c) STRENGTHENING CROSS-BORDER PARTNER5 SHIPS.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordi6 nation with the Secretary of State, shall expand partner7 ship efforts with law enforcement entities in Canada, Mex8 ico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to combat 

9 human smuggling and trafficking in such countries, in10 cluding through the following: 

11 (1) Expansion of transnational criminal inves12 tigative units to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and 

13 prosecute human smuggling and trafficking oper14 ations. 

15 (2) Participation in the Bilateral Human Traf16 ficking Enforcement Initiative by U.S. Immigration 

17 and Customs Enforcement and the Department of 

18 Justice with their Mexican law enforcement counter19 parts. 

20 (3) Advanced training programs for investiga21 tors and prosecutors from such countries. 

Æ 


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