I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6190 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to address the protective 
custody of alien children accompanied by parents, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2018 
Mr. WEBSTER of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to address 
the protective custody of alien children accompanied by 
parents, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Keep Families To-
gether and Enforce the Law Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FAMILY UNIFICATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 235 of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
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‘‘(e) PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
OF ARRIVING ALIEN 
CHILDREN ACCOMPANIED BY PARENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, including section 3142 of title 18, 
United States Code, any judicial determination (in-
cluding any judicial determination made in Flores v. 
Sessions et. al., (9th Cir. July 5, 2017; C.D. CA. 
July 24, 2015)), consent decree, or settlement agree-
ment issued before the date of enactment of the 
Keep Families Together and Enforce the Law Act, 
and section 236.3 of title 8, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (or a successor regulation), the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall not use any appropriated 
funds or be required to implement the terms of the 
stipulated settlement agreement filed on January 17, 
1997, in the United States District Court for the 
Central District of California in Flores v. Reno, CV 
85–4544–RJK, (commonly known as the ‘‘Flores 
settlement agreement’’) in the case of an alien child 
under the age of 18 years who is— 
‘‘(A) accompanied by a parent; and 
‘‘(B)(i) apprehended at or near the inter-
national border of the United States; or 
‘‘(ii) seeking admission to the United 
States at a port of entry. 
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‘‘(2) FAMILY UNIT RESIDENTIAL CENTERS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall temporarily house an alien child 
under the age of 18 years described in para-
graph (1) together with the parent of the child 
in a family residential center maintained by the 
Secretary of Homeland Security during the 
pendency of civil or criminal proceedings. 
‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTION.—The 
Secretary 
of 
Homeland Security shall not temporarily house 
an alien child described in subparagraph (A) in 
the manner described in that subparagraph if 
the Secretary of Homeland Security— 
‘‘(i) is unable to verify that an indi-
vidual accompanying the alien child is the 
parent of the alien child; 
‘‘(ii) determines that the accom-
panying parent of the alien child— 
‘‘(I) has a violent criminal his-
tory; or 
‘‘(II) has committed or been con-
victed of— 
‘‘(aa) an aggravated felony 
under section 101(a)(43); 
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‘‘(4) PRIORITIZATION OF ACCOMPANIED MINOR 
AND FAMILY UNIT PROCEEDINGS.—To the maximum 
extent practicable, the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity and the Attorney General shall prioritize civil 
and criminal proceedings and decisions on requests 
for relief from removal of accompanied alien children 
and families who are in custody under this sub-
section.’’. 
(b) FAMILY RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES.—The Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall enter into one or more 
interagency agreements with the Attorney General to se-
cure additional family residential centers to house accom-
panied alien children and parents of such children under 
section 235(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
during the pendency of civil or criminal proceedings. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
Act shall apply regardless of the date on which an action 
giving rise to the admissibility or custody of the accom-
panied child or parent occurs. 
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CENTER CAPAC-
ITY. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall increase 
the number of available family residential beds by not less 
than 1,000, as compared to the number of beds available 
on the date of enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 4. EMERGENCY IMMIGRATION JUDGE RESOURCES. 
The Attorney General shall increase the number of 
immigration judge teams by not less than 225, as com-
pared to the number of immigration judge teams on the 
date of enactment of this Act, including for the purpose 
of conducting prioritized proceedings for accompanied 
alien children and families— 
(1) apprehended at or near the southwest bor-
der of the United States; or 
(2) who are seeking admission to the United 
States at a port of entry. 
Æ 
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