I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6193 
To direct the Secretary of State to help keep Central American families 
together, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2018 
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mrs. TORRES, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. SIRES, Mr. 
CROWLEY, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. NORTON, 
Mr. RASKIN, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. CORREA, 
Mr. KHANNA, Ms. LEE, Mr. SOTO, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. PALLONE, 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. 
TITUS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. SEAN PATRICK 
MALONEY of New York, Mr. WELCH, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, 
Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. 
BARRAGA´N, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. KIHUEN, Ms. ROYBAL- 
ALLARD, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. DANNY K. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. WALZ, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 
VELA, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. KEATING, and Mr. VARGAS) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of State to help keep Central 
American families together, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Central America Fam-
ily Protection and Reunification Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate. 
(2) NORTHERN TRIANGLE.—The term ‘‘North-
ern Triangle’’ means the region of Central America 
that encompasses the countries of Guatemala, Hon-
duras, and El Salvador. 
(3) NORTHERN
TRIANGLE
COUNTRIES.—The 
term ‘‘Northern Triangle countries’’ means the 
countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Northern Triangle countries of El Sal-
vador, Honduras, and Guatemala have among the 
highest homicide rates in the world. In 2017, there 
were 60 homicides per 100,000 people in El Sal-
vador, 43.6 homicides per 100,000 people in Hon-
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duras and 26.1 homicides per 100,000 people in 
Guatemala. 
(2) According to a Small Arms Survey report 
from 2016, Central America ranks high among re-
gions of the world for femicides. The rate of women 
who have died violent deaths as a percentage of all 
violent deaths in El Salvador and Guatemala ranks 
among the highest in the world. 
(3) Between 2015 and April 2018, 1,003 
femicides were reported in El Salvador, despite en-
acting a special law in 2011 aimed at reducing vio-
lence against women that specifically includes the 
crime of femicide. 
(4) A United States Agency for International 
Development (USAID) study in Honduras in 2015 
found that ‘‘40 percent of women surveyed admitted 
to having suffered some form of Gender Based Vio-
lence. This number is likely to be understated, as it 
is common for individual respondents to deny victim-
ization.’’. 
(5) Survivors of sexual violence in Northern 
Triangle countries do not have access to comprehen-
sive health care. According to the Department of 
State’s 2016 Country Report on Human Rights 
Practices for El Salvador, ‘‘Access to reproductive 
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health services outside of the capital city San Sal-
vador, however, was limited.’’ In Guatemala, ‘‘Cul-
tural, geographic, and linguistic barriers hampered 
access to reproductive health care, particularly for 
indigenous women in rural areas.’’. Honduras pro-
hibits the sale, distribution or use of emergency con-
traception, per the State Department’s 2016 Coun-
try Reports on Human Rights Practices. 
(6) According to a study conducted by the 
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 
childhood experiences with domestic violence in 
Latin America are a major risk factor for future 
criminal behavior. Fifty-six percent of incarcerated 
women and 59 percent of incarcerated men surveyed 
experienced intra-familial violence during childhood. 
(7) According to a Congressional Research 
Service report, ‘‘Gangs engage in sex trafficking in-
volving women and children, particularly in Hon-
duras and in Guatemala City. Threats and harass-
ment by gangs have led thousands of youth to aban-
don school, including some 39,000 in El Salvador in 
2015.’’. 
(8) According to the nongovernmental organiza-
tion Kids in Need of Defense, ‘‘As gangs have in-
creased their control in El Salvador, Honduras, and 
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Guatemala over the past several years, they have 
systematically used sexual violence as a principal 
tactic for establishing and maintaining dominance 
over the communities and territories in which they 
operate, similar to violent tactics used in other con-
texts of armed conflict.’’. 
(9) The Internal Displacement Monitoring Cen-
tre estimates that at least 1,000,000 people had 
been displaced by criminal violence associated with 
drug trafficking and gang activity in El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico as of December 
2015. Multiple reports have shown that when women 
are internally displaced, they are often at greater 
risk and more vulnerable to sexual and gender-based 
violence. 
(10) Pervasive gender-based violence in the 
Northern Triangle countries and the inability of jus-
tice systems to hold accountable the perpetrators of 
these crimes due to extremely high rates of impunity 
creates a credible fear for individuals to return to 
their home countries after migrating to the United 
States. 
(11) The American Academy of Pediatrics notes 
that the stress caused by the Trump Administra-
tion’s policy of family separation could impede chil-
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dren’s development and lead to serious health prob-
lems, like heart disease, later in life. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) Attorney General of the United States Jeff 
Sessions’s decision to reverse an immigration ap-
peals court ruling granting asylum to a Salvadoran 
woman who was sexually, physically and emotionally 
abused by her husband with El Salvador failing to 
provide her protection sets a dangerous and irre-
sponsible precedent which does not take into account 
the facts on the ground in the Northern Triangle; 
and 
(2) the Trump Administration’s decision to sep-
arate children from their parents at the United 
States-Mexico border will cause psycho-social dam-
age to children and families that will take years to 
repair. 
SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
ROLE IN IMMEDIATE FAMILY REUNIFICA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—It shall be the policy of the United 
States to not separate immigrant families as a deterrent, 
and to immediately reunite any families that were sepa-
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rated due to the criminal prosecution of parents for illegal 
entry or re-entry. 
(b) SUPPORT.—It shall be the policy of the Depart-
ment of State, including through its embassies in the 
Northern Triangle countries, to prioritize supporting gov-
ernments and citizens of such countries to help facilitate 
reunification of any families who were separated by United 
States authorities due to the criminal prosecution of par-
ents for illegal entry into the United States. 
(c) REPORT BY SECRETARY OF STATE.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State shall report to the appropriate con-
gressional committees on efforts to carry out the policies 
described in subsections (a) and (b). 
(d) REPORT BY GAO.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report on efforts to 
carry out the policies described in subsections (a) and (b). 
SEC. 6. REPORTING ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN THE 
NORTHERN TRIANGLE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter 
for the following five years, the Secretary of State shall 
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submit to the appropriate congressional committees a re-
port on gender-based violence in the Northern Triangle. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—Each report required under sub-
section (a) shall include the following elements: 
(1) Data disaggregated by age on the overall 
rates of gender-based violence in the Northern Tri-
angle countries, including by using victimization sur-
veys, regardless of whether or not these acts of vio-
lence are reported to government authorities. 
(2) Data on incidences of gender-based violence 
cases reported to the authorities in the Northern 
Triangle countries and the percentage of perpetra-
tors investigated, apprehended, prosecuted, and con-
victed. 
(3) Descriptions of the obstacles (including ca-
pacity gaps within the criminal justice system) to re-
solving gender-based violence cases and deterring vi-
olence against women and children in the Northern 
Triangle countries. 
(4) Descriptions of gender-based violence trends 
in each of the Northern Triangle countries. 
(5) Information regarding the incidence of vio-
lence, including domestic abuse, against indigenous 
women. 
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(6) A breakout of data on and descriptions of 
domestic violence in each of the aforementioned cat-
egories. 
(7) Information on the availability of trauma- 
informed legal and social services for victims of gen-
der-based violence in Northern Triangle countries, 
including in shelters. 
(8) Data on the number of police officers, pros-
ecutors, court personnel, and specialized units 
trained in violence against women and children in 
Northern Triangle countries. 
(9) Data on the time period from first report 
of crime to official verdict in gender-based violence 
crimes in Northern Triangle countries. 
(10) Data on the availability of restoration 
services (including shelter, trauma care, and eco-
nomic support) for women and child victims of gen-
der-based violence in Northern Triangle countries. 
(11) Data on the capacity of child welfare sys-
tems in each Northern Triangle country to protect 
unaccompanied children, including runaways and 
refugee returnees in Northern Triangle countries. 
(12) Descriptions of barriers to comprehensive 
health care, including reproductive health care, for 
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survivors of gender-based violence in Northern Tri-
angle countries. 
(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Each report required 
under subsection (a) shall be made publicly available on 
the website of the Department of State in English and 
Spanish. 
SEC. 7. STRATEGY TO REDUCE GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE 
IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 
in coordination with the Ambassador-at-Large for Global 
Women’s Issues, the Senior Coordinator for Gender 
Equality and Women’s Empowerment at the United 
States Agency for International Development, and the 
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Inter-Amer-
ican Foundation, shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a strategy to use a portion of amounts 
appropriated or otherwise made available to carry out the 
U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America to com-
bat gender-based violence in the Northern Triangle. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing the strategy re-
quired under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall 
consult with nongovernmental organizations focused on 
gender-based violence in the Northern Triangle and the 
United States. 
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(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The strategy required 
under subsection (a) shall be made publicly available on 
the website of the Department of State in English and 
Spanish. 
SEC. 8. REPORTING ON GANG AND ORGANIZED-CRIME RE-
LATED VIOLENCE IN THE NORTHERN TRI-
ANGLE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter 
for the following five years, the Secretary of State shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a re-
port on gang and organized-crime related violence in the 
Northern Triangle. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—Each report required under sub-
section (a) shall include the following elements: 
(1) Data disaggregated by age on the overall 
rates of gang and organized-crime related violence in 
the Northern Triangle countries, including by using 
victimization surveys, regardless of whether or not 
these acts of violence are reported to government au-
thorities. 
(2) Data on sexual slavery scenarios carried out 
by gangs and other organized criminal groups. 
(3) Data on children and young adults forcibly 
recruited by gangs and other criminal groups, in-
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cluding the extent to which the authorities received 
reports of forced recruitement. 
(4) Data on internal displacement due to gang- 
related violence and insecurity, and services provided 
to those displaced by violence, including temporary 
shelters. 
(5) Data on the rates of extortion and cases in-
vestigated, prosecuted and convicted. 
(6) Data on cases of abuse, including extrajudi-
cial executions, committed by members of the North-
ern Triangle countries’ security forces and collusion 
between members of the security forces and gangs 
and other criminal groups, and percentage of per-
petrators investigated, prosecuted, and convicted. 
(7) Descriptions of the strategies being imple-
mented by the Northern Triangle governments to 
address forced recruitment of children and youth by 
gangs and other criminal groups. 
(8) Data on incidences of gang and organized- 
crime related violence cases reported to the authori-
ties in the Northern Triangle countries and the per-
centage of perpetrators investigated, apprehended, 
prosecuted, and convicted. 
(9) Descriptions of the obstacles (including ca-
pacity gaps within the criminal justice system) to re-
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solving gang and organized-crime related violence 
cases and deterring violence from these groups. 
(10) Data on the time period from first report 
of serious crime to official verdict in gang and orga-
nized-crime related violence crimes in Northern Tri-
angle countries. 
(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Each report required 
under subsection (a) shall be made publicly available on 
the website of the Department of State in English and 
Spanish. 
SEC. 9. OFFICE OF VICTIMS OF CRIME COMMITTED 
AGAINST INDIVIDUALS REMOVED FROM THE 
UNITED STATES. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish 
within the Department of State an office to study serious 
crimes, including homicide, rape, kidnapping, domestic vi-
olence and extortion, committed against— 
(1) aliens who were removed from the United 
States, during the first 365 days after being so re-
moved; and 
(2) citizens of the United States who departed 
the United States as a result of having an alien par-
ent who was removed from the United States, dur-
ing the first 365 days after such departure. 
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SEC. 10. STRATEGY TO ADDRESS HEALTH IMPACT OF FAM-
ILY SEPARATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 
in coordination with the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy to 
use a portion of amounts appropriated or otherwise made 
available to carry out the U.S. Strategy for Engagement 
in Central America to address the damage to the health, 
development, and well-being of children and caregivers 
caused by the policy of separating children from their fam-
ilies at the United States-Mexico border. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing the strategy re-
quired under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall 
consult with nongovernmental organizations focused on 
the damage to the health, development, and well-being of 
children and caregivers caused by child separation both 
in the Northern Triangle and the United States. 
(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The strategy required 
under subsection (a) shall be made publicly available on 
the website of the Department of State in English and 
Spanish. 
Æ 
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