I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5261 

To establish a North and Central American and Caribbean border security 

cooperation initiative, enhance the security of Mexico’s southern border, 

improve United States short term detention standards, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2014 

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 

Committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary, 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 North and Central American and Caribbean 

border security cooperation initiative, enhance the security of Mexico’s southern border, improve United States 

short term detention standards, 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 ‘‘Central American and 

5 USA Initiatives Act’’ or the ‘‘CAUSA Initiatives Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN BORDER SECU2 RITY COOPERATION INITIATIVE. 

3 (a) BORDER SECURITY COOPERATION INITIATIVE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 

5 Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State 

6 and other appropriate United States officials, shall 

7 work with the appropriate officials of the Govern8 ment of Canada and the Government of Mexico, in 

9 conjunction with representatives from the govern10 ments of Central American countries, to establish a 

11 program to— 

12 (A) assess the specific needs of Central 

13 American countries to maintain the security of 

14 the international borders of such countries; 

15 (B) determine the support needed by such 

16 countries from the United States, Canada, and 

17 Mexico, to meet such needs; and 

18 (C) assess the current structure for han19 dling displaced minors and other vulnerable in20 dividuals in Central American countries and 

21 recommendations to improve such structure. 

22 (2) CONSIDERATION.—Any actions taken pur23 suant to this subsection by the individuals referred 

24 to in paragraph (1) shall be taken in accordance 

25 with the goals of advancing human rights and eco26 nomic opportunities, as well as programming and 


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1 support for the rule of law, good governance, and 

2 civil society. 

3 (b) REPORT.—The Secretary of Homeland Security 

4 shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

5 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep6 resentatives and the Committee on Homeland Security 

7 and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Foreign 

8 Relations of the Senate a report on the assessments and 

9 determination carried out in accordance with subsection 

10 (a). 

11 SEC. 3. CARIBBEAN BORDER SECURITY COOPERATION INI12 TIATIVES. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu14 rity, in cooperation with the Secretary of State, shall work 

15 with appropriate officials of the governments of the coun16 tries of the Caribbean to establish a program to assess 

17 the specific needs of such countries to address the unique 

18 challenges of maritime border security. 

19 (b) REPORT.—The Secretary of Homeland Security 

20 shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

21 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep22 resentatives and the Committee on Homeland Security 

23 and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Foreign 

24 Relations of the Senate a report on the assessment of 

25 needs carried out in accordance with subsection (a). 


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1 SEC. 4. ENHANCING THE SECURITY OF MEXICO’S SOUTH2 ERN BORDER. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu4 rity, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall 

5 work with appropriate officials of the Government of Mex6 ico to establish a program to assess the specific needs of 

7 Mexico to help secure Mexico’s southern border from un8 documented aliens, drugs, weapons, and other contraband. 

9 Such plan shall include— 

10 (1) a comprehensive plan for the deployment 

11 and use of technology along the southern border of 

12 Mexico, which at a minimum shall contain— 

13 (A) an assessment of current technology 

14 capabilities along the southern border of Mex15 ico; 

16 (B) a description of the research and de17 velopment capabilities of the Government of 

18 Mexico, and collaboration between the Science 

19 and Technology Directorate of the Department 

20 of Homeland Security to help improve such ca21 pabilities; and 

22 (C) a description of Mexico’s technology 

23 needs to address southern border crossing 

24 transportation screening, including vehicle, pe25 destrian and rail screening; and 


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1 (2) a comprehensive plan for the repatriation of 

2 migrants to their home countries, which at a min3 imum shall contain— 

4 (A) a description of the ways the Govern5 ment of Mexico and the Government of the 

6 United States can coordinate with international 

7 non-governmental organizations to ensure hu8 mane repatriation methods are practiced; 

9 (B) a description of the training, personnel 

10 and equipment needed to implement such a re11 patriation program; and 

12 (C) an assessment of current and future 

13 land and rail ports of entry infrastructure that 

14 will be needed to maintain legitimate border ac15 tivity along the southern border of Mexico. 

16 (b) REPORT.—The Secretary of Homeland Security 

17 shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

18 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep19 resentatives and the Committee on Homeland Security 

20 and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Foreign 

21 Relations of the Senate a report on the assessment of 

22 needs carried out in accordance with subsection (a). 


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1 SEC. 5. IMPROVING UNITED STATES SHORT TERM DETEN2 TION STANDARDS. 

3 (a) PROPER ACCESS TO ADEQUATE FACILITIES AND

4 PERSONAL NEEDS UPON OR AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE

5 FOLLOWING APPREHENSION AND DURING SHORT TERM

6 DETENTION AT BORDER PATROL PROCESSING CEN7 TERS.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting 

8 through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 

9 Protection, shall ensure that adequate facilities and sus10 taining needs, such as access to food and water, medical 

11 care and sanitary facilities, are provided to an individual 

12 apprehended and detained by a Border Patrol agent be13 tween ports of entry upon or as soon as practicable fol14 lowing the time of such apprehension or during subse15 quent short term detention. 

16 (b) ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON DETAINEE RIGHTS

17 AT BORDER PATROL PROCESSING CENTERS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 

19 Security, acting through Commissioner of U.S. Cus20 toms and Border Protection, shall ensure that an in21 dividual unlawfully present in the United States who 

22 is apprehended by a Border Patrol agent is promptly 

23 provided with information concerning such individ24 ual’s rights, including the right to contact a rep25 resentative of such individual’s government for pur26 poses of United States treaty obligations. 


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1 (2) FORM.—The information referred to in 

2 paragraph (1) may be provided either verbally or in 

3 writing by the apprehending Border Patrol agent, 

4 and shall be posted in the detention holding cell in 

5 which such individual is being held. The information 

6 shall be provided in a language understandable to 

7 such individual. 

8 (c) DOCUMENTATION CONCERNING REPATRIATED

9 INDIVIDUALS.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, act10 ing through Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 

11 Protection, shall establish and maintain a database con12 taining the following information relating to individuals 

13 unlawfully present in the United States who are appre14 hended and detained by Border Patrol agents: 

15 (1) Information on the location of apprehen16 sion. 

17 (2) Information on family members separated 

18 by the Border Patrol during apprehension or deten19 tion. 

20 (3) Information on the medical conditions of 

21 apprehended and detained individuals during short 

22 term detention. 

23 (4) Information on any personal property that 

24 was returned to the individual upon repatriation. 


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1 (d) DAYTIME REPATRIATION.—Repatriations shall be 

2 limited to daylight hours and avoid locations that are de3 termined to have high indices of crime and violence. 

4 (e) SHORT TERM DETENTION DEFINED.—In this 

5 section, the term ‘‘short term detention’’ means detention 

6 of an individual in a Border Patrol processing center for 

7 72 hours or less, before repatriation of such individual to 

8 such individual’s country of nationality or last habitual 

9 residence. 

10 (f) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

11 of the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General 

12 of the United States shall submit to the Committee on 

13 Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 

14 the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

15 Affairs of the Senate a report on the procurement process 

16 and standards of entities with which the Department of 

17 Homeland Security has contracts for the transportation 

18 and detention of individuals unlawfully present in the 

19 United States who are apprehended by agents or officers 

20 of the Department. Such report should also consider the 

21 operational efficiency of contracting out for the transpor22 tation and detention of individuals unlawfully present in 

23 the United States. 

Æ 


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