Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2302
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2015-11-18
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Africa

Border security and unlawful immigration

Congressional oversight

Crime victims

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Immigration status and procedures

Iraq

Libya

Middle East

Refugees, asylum, displaced persons

Somalia

Syria

Terrorism

War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity

Yemen
Latest action: action_date: 2015-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-11-18
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act of 2015</strong></p> <p>This bill prohibits the U.S. refugee admission of an alien who is a national of, has habitually resided in, or is claiming refugee status due to events in any country containing terrorist-controlled territory (Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and any other Department of State-designated country). </p> <p>Such an alien may be admitted to the United States as a refugee if the alien: </p> <ul> <li>satisfies refugee admission requirements;</li> <li>is a member of a group that has been designated by the State Department or by an Act of Congress as a victim of genocide (and such group does not pose a risk to U.S. security); </li> <li>has undergone the highest level of security screening of any category of traveler to the United States, including full multi-modal biometrics; and </li> <li>the State Department, the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) certify that such alien is not a threat to U.S. national security.</li> </ul> <p>These requirements shall not apply to the U.S. refugee admission of an alien who: (1) provided substantial assistance to the United States, and (2) would face a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury because of that assistance if not admitted to the United States. </p> <p>The State Department may designate as a country containing terrorist-controlled territory any country containing territory that is controlled, in substantial part, by a foreign terrorist organization to the exclusion of that country's recognized government. </p> <p>The State Department shall maintain and continually update a list of: (1) the countries containing terrorist-controlled territory, and (2) groups identified as victims of genocide.</p> <p>An alien may not be admitted into the United States under this Act solely based on his or her assertions, and DHS shall substantiate any such assertions with the State Department, DOD, the FBI, and the DNI. </p> <p /> <p />

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2302 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 18, 2015 Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To temporarily restrict the admission to the United States of refugees from countries containing terrorist-controlled territory.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act of 2015 . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Country containing terrorist-controlled territory The phrase country containing terrorist-controlled territory means— (A) Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen; and (B) any other country designated by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 4(a). (2) Refugee The term refugee has the meaning given the term in section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42) ). (3) Substantial assistance The phrase substantial assistance means a level of assistance without which the United States could not achieve the purposes for which the assistance was provided or sought. (4) Victim of genocide The term victim of genocide has the meaning given the term in Article II of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, opened for signature in Paris on December 9, 1948. 3. Prohibition on refugees from terrorist-controlled territories (a) In general Except as provided in subsection (b) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien may not be admitted to the United States under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1157 ) if the alien is a national of, has habitually resided in, or is claiming refugee status due to events in any country containing terrorist-controlled territory. (b) Exception (1) In general An alien otherwise prohibited from admission to the United States under subsection (a) may be admitted to the United States under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1157 ) if the alien clearly proves, beyond doubt, that he or she— (A) satisfies the requirements for admission as a refugee; and (B) is a member of a group that has been designated by the Secretary of State or by an Act of Congress as a victim of genocide. (2) National security threat An alien may not be admitted under paragraph (1) unless— (A) the alien has undergone the highest level of security screening of any category of traveler to the United States, including assessments by the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Terrorist Screening Center, and the National Counterterrorism Center; (B) full multi-modal biometrics of the alien have been taken, including face, iris, and all fingerprints; and (C) the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence certify that such alien is not a threat to the national security of the United States. (c) Applicability Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to any alien seeking admission under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1157 ) if the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence certify that the alien— (1) provided substantial assistance to the United States; and (2) would face a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury because of that assistance if not admitted to the United States. 4. Responsibilities of the Secretary of State (a) Identification of other countries In addition to the countries listed in section 2(1)(A), the Secretary of State may designate, as a country containing terrorist-controlled territory , any country containing territory that is controlled, in substantial part, by a Foreign Terrorist Organization, as designated by the Secretary of State under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1189 ), to the exclusion of that country’s recognized government. (b) List of countries containing terrorist-Controlled territory The Secretary of State shall— (1) maintain and continually update a list of the countries containing terrorist-controlled territory; and (2) continuously make available the list described in paragraph (1)— (A) on the Secretary’s website; (B) to the Secretary of Homeland Security; (C) to Congress; and (D) to the public. (c) Victims of genocide The Secretary of State shall— (1) identify all groups that are victims of genocide; (2) maintain and continually update a list of the groups that the Secretary or Congress has identified as victims of genocide; and (3) continuously make available the list described in paragraph (2)— (A) on the Secretary’s website; (B) to the Secretary of Homeland Security; (C) to Congress; and (D) to the public. (d) National security threat The Secretary of State may refuse to designate a group for the exception under section 3(b)(1)(B) if the Secretary determines that the group poses a substantial security risk to the United States. 5. Responsibilities of the Secretary of Homeland Security (a) Rulemaking The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue regulations to implement section 3 as soon as practicable. (b) Limit of alien assertions The Secretary of Homeland Security may not admit any alien into the United States under this Act solely based on the assertions of such alien. (c) Coordination The Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence to substantiate, as much as reasonably practicable, the assertions made by aliens seeking admission to the United States. 6. Effective period This Act shall be effective during the 3-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.