II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2202 

To expedite detainee transport to border patrol processing facilities. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 22, 2019 

Mr. HEINRICH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To expedite detainee transport to border patrol processing 

facilities. 

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

3 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT6 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com7 mittees’’ means— 

8 (A) the Committee on Homeland Security 

9 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; 

10 (B) the Committee on Homeland Security 

11 of the House of Representatives; 


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1 (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

2 Senate; and 

3 (D) the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

4 House of Representatives. 

5 (2) REMOTE BORDER PATROL STATION.—The 

6 term ‘‘remote border patrol station’’ means a border 

7 patrol station located in an area within the United 

8 States along the international border between the 

9 United States and Mexico that is not within an area 

10 defined and designated by the Bureau of the Census 

11 as an urbanized area. 

12 SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL DRIVER PROGRAM. 

13 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

14 Customs and Border Protection shall establish a program 

15 to expedite detainee transport to border patrol processing 

16 facilities by ensuring that, beginning not later than 1 year 

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act— 

18 (1) not fewer than 300 border patrol agents as19 signed to remote border patrol stations have a com20 mercial driver’s license with a passenger endorse21 ment for detainee transport; 

22 (2) not fewer than 5 border patrol agents who 

23 have a commercial driver’s license with a passenger 

24 endorsement for detainee transport are available at 

25 each remote border patrol station during every shift; 


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1 (3) not fewer than 3 buses are assigned to each 

2 of the El Paso, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San 

3 Diego, and Tucson sectors and parked (when not in 

4 use) at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facil5 ity located in the respective sector; and 

6 (4) not fewer than 2 buses are assigned to each 

7 of the Big Bend, Del Rio, El Centro, and Yuma sec8 tors and parked (when not in use) at a U.S. Cus9 toms and Border Protection facility located in the 

10 respective sector. 

11 (b) RELOCATION.—Buses assigned to specific Border 

12 Patrol Sectors pursuant to subsection (a) may be relocated 

13 to other sectors in response to changing immigration pat14 terns. 

15 (c) REDUCING WAIT TIMES AT REMOTE BORDER PA16 TROL STATIONS.—The Commissioner shall ensure that 

17 sufficient buses are available in each border patrol sector 

18 to avoid subjecting detainees to long wait times at remote 

19 border patrol stations. 

20 (d) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of 

21 Homeland Security shall submit quarterly reports to the 

22 appropriate congressional committees regarding the aver23 age length of detainees’ stay at border patrol processing 

24 centers. 

Æ 


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