I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6181 
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. CRAWFORD 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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‘‘(bb) a crime involving the 
attempted use of physical force 
or threatened use of a deadly 
weapon; 
‘‘(cc) an assault resulting in 
bodily injury (as defined in sec-
tion 2266 of title 18, United 
States Code); or 
‘‘(dd) an offense described 
in 
section 
212(a)(2) 
or 
237(a)(2); 
‘‘(iii) determines that the alien child is 
or has been a victim of domestic abuse or 
sexual abuse; or 
‘‘(iv) the alien child is— 
‘‘(I) a victim of trafficking; 
‘‘(II) at risk of becoming a victim 
of trafficking; 
‘‘(III) in danger of abuse or ne-
glect at the hands of the accom-
panying parent of the alien child; or 
‘‘(IV) a danger to himself or her-
self or to others. 
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‘‘(C) CONDITIONS
FOR
CUSTODY.—The 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure 
that each— 
‘‘(i) family residential facility is secure 
and safe; and 
‘‘(ii) alien child and accompanying 
parent at a family residential facility has— 
‘‘(I) suitable living accommoda-
tions; 
‘‘(II) access to drinking water 
and food; 
‘‘(III) medical assistance in case 
of emergencies; and 
‘‘(IV) any other service necessary 
for the adequate care of a minor child. 
‘‘(3) PROTECTIVE CUSTODY OF ACCOMPANIED 
ALIEN CHILDREN INELIGIBLE FOR HOUSING IN A 
FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CENTER.—If an alien child de-
scribed in paragraph (1) may not be housed with the 
accompanying parent of the alien child in a family 
residential center under paragraph (2)(A), the alien 
child shall be treated as an unaccompanied alien 
child under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Vic-
tims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 
U.S.C. 1232 et seq.). 
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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) 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. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall increase the number of available family residen-
tial beds by not less than 1,000, as compared to the num-
ber of beds available on the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall enter into one or more inter-
agency agreements with the Attorney General to secure 
additional family residential centers to house accompanied 
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. 
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SEC. 4. CONDITIONS ON NEW IMMIGRATION DETENTION 
SITES. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall secure the 
written permission of the Governor, both United States 
Senators, and the United States Representative who rep-
resent the State and congressional district of the location 
any proposed new immigration detention site, including 
any proposed new family residential center site, before the 
site is constructed or put into operation. 
SEC. 5. 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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