Refugee Protection Act of 2010

Bill: 111-s-3113
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2010-03-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Child safety and welfare
Crime victims
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Justice
Detention of persons
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government studies and investigations
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Health promotion and preventive care
Human rights
Immigrant health and welfare
Immigration status and procedures
Judicial review and appeals
Lawyers and legal services
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mental health
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Terrorism
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2010-03-15
text: 
Refugee Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the one-year time limit for filing an asylum claim.
 
Revises the definition of terrorist activity for purposes of alien inadmissibility. Excludes coerced activity from such definition.
 
Revises: (1) the definition of refugee; and (2) the criteria for granting asylum.
 
Authorizes the Attorney General to appoint counsel to represent an alien in a removal proceeding. 
 
Prohibits an alien from being removed during the 30-day petition for review period unless the alien indicates in writing that he or she wishes to be removed before the expiration of such period.
 
Makes discretionary certain currently required detention provisions regarding arriving aliens who request asylum.
 
 
 Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) establish a secure alternatives to detention program; (2) establish specified conditions of detention; (3) file notice of immigration charges with the court and the individual within 48 hours of detention; and (4) establish procedures to ensure the accuracy of statements taken by DHS employees exercising expedited removal authority.
 
Authorizes the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to conduct a study to determine whether certain immigration officers are properly handling asylum and removal/detention authority with regard to aliens apprehended after entering the United States.
 
Eliminates the one-year waiting period before a refugee or asylee may petition for permanent legal resident status.
 
Exempts aliens under the age of 18 from certain restrictions on applying for asylum.
 
Permits applicants for refugee admission to simultaneously pursue other forms of admission.
 
Authorizes the spouse or child of a refugee or asylee to bring his or her accompanying or following child into the United States as a refugee or asylee.
 
States that if the President does not issue a refugee allocation determination before the beginning of a fiscal year the number of refugees that may be admitted in each quarter shall be 25% of the number of refugees admissible during the previous fiscal year.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of State to designate certain groups as eligible for expedited refugee adjudication.
 
Directs the Secretary of State to notify Congress regarding the amount of funds that will be provided in Reception and Placement Grants in the coming fiscal year.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to nonprofit organizations to assist refugees in obtaining immigration benefits. 
 
Sets forth protections for: (1) aliens interdicted at sea; and (2) stateless persons in the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-05-19
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
action_date: 2010-03-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1521-1528)
action_date: 2010-03-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1518-1520)
action_date: 2010-03-15
text: Introduced in Senate