Legislation Addressing the Central American Humanitarian Crisis (Updated 7/29/14)

At the end of July 2014 the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs, Representative Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (R-MD) respectively, introduced legislation to provide supplemental funding to address the Central American humanitarian crisis impact on the southern border. (AILA Doc. No. 14072947)

• Text of the Senate Appropriations Emergency Supplemental Bill
• Text of H.R. 5230, the House Appropriations Committee Legislation to Address the Southwest Border Crisis

On 7/23/14 Speaker Boehner sent a letter to President Obama arguing that it will be difficult to make “progress on this issue without strong, public support from the White House for much-needed reforms, including changes to the 2008 [TVPRA] law.” AILA Doc. No. 14072352.

On 7/23/14 the House GOP Working Group on the Humanitarian Crisis led by Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) issued their recommendations on addressing the effects of the humanitarian crisis in Central America on the southern border. (AILA Doc. No. 14072348.)

On 7/17/14 Representatives Goodlatte (R-VA) and Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced H.R. 5137, the “Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act.”

• AILA Section-by-Section of H.R. 5137 (AILA Doc. No. 14072149.)

On 7/16/14, Senator Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative Cuellar (D-TX) introduced the “Helping Unaccompanied Minors and Alleviating National Emergency (HUMANE)” Act. (AILA Doc. No. 14071654.)

On 7/9/14 Sen. Flake (R-AZ) filed an amendment (to an unrelated bill) to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to allow for the expedited removal of unaccompanied minors from non-contiguous countries. (AILA Doc. No. 14071547.)

On 7/10/14 Rep. Salmon (R-AZ) introduced the “Expedited Family Reunification Act of 2014.”

On 7/11/14 Rep. Calvert (R-CA) introduced H.R. 5079 that “would amend a 2008 law that unintentionally created a loophole for unaccompanied children from Central America that are detained illegally crossing the border.”

On 7/18/14 Sen. Vitter (R-LA) and Rep. Cassidy (R-LA) introduced S. 2632 that “would halt the influx of unaccompanied alien children coming into the United States illegally by implementing mandatory detention, expedited removal, and reforms to existing trafficking law.”

AILA Resources

• Talking Points on important protections under the TVPRA (authored by the Women’s Refugee Commission, First Focus Campaign for Children, The Voices and Faces Project and AILA). (7/11/2014) (AILA Doc. No. 14071145.)
• AILA Recommendations on Legal Standards and Protections for Unaccompanied Children (7/8/2014) (AILA Doc. No. 14070847.)