Equal Protection of Unaccompanied Minors Act

Bill: 116-hr-574
Sponsor: Rep. Meadows, Mark [R-NC-11]
Introduced: 2019-01-15 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Assault and harassment offenses
Chemical and biological weapons
Child safety and welfare
Civil actions and liability
Crime victims
Crimes against children
Crimes against property
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of Homeland Security
Detention of persons
Domestic violence and child abuse
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Family relationships
Federal appellate courts
Firearms and explosives
Fires
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government information and archives
Government liability
Human trafficking
Immigration status and procedures
International law and treaties
Judges
Judicial review and appeals
Jurisdiction and venue
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Motor vehicles
Nuclear weapons
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Sex offenses
State and local government operations
Terrorism
Transportation safety and security
Violent crime
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2019-01-15
text: 

Equal Protection of Unaccompanied Minors Act

 
This bill amends rules for the treatment of unaccompanied alien children and asylum-seeking families, and for detaining and removal of various types of aliens.
 
The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to return an inadmissible unaccompanied child to the child's country of nationality or last habitual residence, where currently DHS has discretion to do so. 
 
Interviews with unaccompanied alien children shall be conducted by those with specialized training for interviewing child trafficking victims.
 
Before placing an alien child with an individual, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall provide DHS with various information, including the individual's immigration status and contact information. DHS shall initiate removal proceedings if the individual is unlawfully present in the United States.
 
Under the bill, unaccompanied alien children in DHS or HHS custody shall have access to counsel in legal proceedings, where currently such children shall have counsel.
 
DHS shall have authority to extend the detention periods for various categories of removable aliens. The bill also expands the definitions of various types of crimes, such as those related to explosive materials, that are aggravated felonies or crimes of violence for immigration purposes. Aliens associated with criminal gangs shall be inadmissible to the United States and deportable.
 
The bill directs DHS, the Department of Justice, and HHS to maintain facilities for housing asylum applicants and their children, and increases the number of immigration judges and Board of Immigration Appeals attorneys and necessary support staff.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
action_date: 2019-02-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.
action_date: 2019-02-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability.
action_date: 2019-01-15
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Homeland Security, 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: 2019-01-15
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Homeland Security, 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: 2019-01-15
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Homeland Security, 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: 2019-01-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-01-15
text: Introduced in House