Expedited Family Reunification Act of 2016

Bill: 114-hr-4720
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Salmon, Matt [R-AZ-5]
Introduced: 2016-03-07
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Belize

Border security and unlawful immigration

Child safety and welfare

Costa Rica

Crimes against children

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Human trafficking

Immigration status and procedures

International law and treaties

Latin America

Lawyers and legal services

Nicaragua

Panama

Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Latest action: action_date: 2016-04-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-03-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Expedited Family Reunification Act of 2016 </strong></p> <p>This bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to provide that any unaccompanied alien child (UAC) who has not been a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons or does not have a credible fear of persecution on returning to his or her country of nationality or of last habitual residence shall be:</p> <ul> <li>placed in removal proceedings,</li> <li>eligible for voluntary departure at no cost to the child, and</li> <li>provided with access to counsel.</li> </ul> <p>(Currently such expedited removal requirements apply to unaccompanied children from countries that are contiguous to the United States.)</p> <p>The Department of State shall negotiate agreements, in addition to countries contiguous to the United States, between the United States and Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and any other appropriate country regarding the repatriation of children.</p> <p>The requirements of this Act are applied to any UAC apprehended on or after June 15, 2012.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4720 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 7, 2016 Mr. Salmon (for himself, Mr. Brooks of Alabama , Mr. Farenthold , Mr. Schweikert , Mr. Buck , Mr. Gosar , Mr. King of Iowa , Mr. Duncan of South Carolina , Mr. Franks of Arizona , Mr. Barletta , and Mr. McClintock ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary , and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs , 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 A BILL To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to provide for the expedited removal of unaccompanied alien children who are not victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons and who do not have a fear of returning to their country of nationality or last habitual residence, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expedited Family Reunification Act of 2016 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) President Obama, on June 15, 2012, during the Rose Garden speech, announced a unilateral administrative change in United States immigration policy that the administration will not enforce broad swaths of immigration laws, including that the administration would not deport illegal immigrants brought to the United States as young children. (2) Over 176,000 unaccompanied alien children have been apprehended in the United States since the President’s speech (most of them from Central America) with many more expected to arrive. (3) These children are targeted by human traffickers, drug cartels, and other criminal organizations, and run the risk of being kidnapped, raped, killed, or otherwise harmed. (4) Returning these illegal immigrants to their families in their home countries would allow them to be safe, free from harm, and help reduce future flow. 3. Repatriation of unaccompanied alien children Section 235(a) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 ( 8 U.S.C. 1232 ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (2)— (A) by amending the heading to read as follows: Rules for unaccompanied alien children. ; (B) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking who is a national or habitual resident of a country that is contiguous with the United States ; and (C) in subparagraph (C)— (i) by amending the heading to read as follows: Agreements with foreign countries ; and (ii) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting after countries contiguous to the United States the following , as well as Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and any other foreign country that the Secretary determines appropriate, ; and (2) in paragraph (5)(D), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking , except for an unaccompanied alien child from a contiguous country subject to the exceptions under subsection (a)(2), and inserting who does not meet the criteria listed in paragraph (2)(A) . 4. Applicability The amendments made by section 2 shall apply to any unaccompanied alien child who was apprehended on or after June 15, 2012.