Strategic and Humane Southern Border Migrant Response Act

Bill: 116-hr-3731
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
Introduced: 2019-07-11 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Border security and unlawful immigration
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Crime victims
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of Homeland Security
Detention of persons
El Salvador
Executive agency funding and structure
Family relationships
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Guatemala
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Honduras
Human trafficking
Immigrant health and welfare
Immigration status and procedures
Latin America
Law enforcement officers
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mexico
Performance measurement
Photography and imaging
Public contracts and procurement
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Transportation safety and security
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: 

Strategic and Humane Southern Border Migrant Response Act

 
This bill imposes requirements related to the handling of migrants from Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) and terminates certain policies requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico before applying and while cases are pending.
 
The President shall report on a plan for processing asylum seekers apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall establish a task force to implement the plan. 
 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall maintain family unity to the greatest extent possible, unless there is a legal requirement or safety concern requiring otherwise.
 
DHS shall (1) make every effort to ensure that apprehended individuals have access to bathrooms and showers, water, appropriate nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation (currently, the statute only requires access to food and water); (2) establish uniform medical screening procedures for detained individuals and programs that provide alternatives to detention; (3) increase its capacity to care for families and unaccompanied children by contracting with qualified entities and hiring additional CBP officers; and (4) restore a program that allowed certain minors in Northern Triangle countries to apply for refugee status without traveling to the United States.
 
The Government Accountability Office and DHS Inspector General shall audit and conduct uninspected inspections of detention facilities. Any Member of Congress may inspect such facilities without prior notification
 
The Department of State shall work with the United Nations to increase the capacity of Northern Triangle countries and Mexico to handle and care for those seeking refugee resettlement.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-07-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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.
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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.
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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.
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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.
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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.
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-07-11
text: Introduced in House