Causes.com
| 5.19.23
BILL: Secure the Border Act of 2023 – H.R.2 – Tell Your Senators How To Vote
Tell your senators to support or oppose the act
The Bill
Bill Details
- Sponsored by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) on May 2, 2023
- The Act passed in a 219-213 vote.
- Two Republicans — John Duarte of California and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — joined all Democrats in opposing the new immigration restrictions.
- House - Passed
- Senate - Not Yet Voted
- President - Not Yet Signed
Bill Overview
- The GOP's "Secure the Border Act of 2023" (H.R. 2) would severely restrict the right to seek asylum in the U.S., limit lawful immigration avenues, pressure border communities, and establish new criminal penalties related to immigration law.
- Restarts border wall construction, increase enforcement personnel and defund NGOs that provide services to migrants.
- H.R. 2 would limit access and eligibility for asylum as well as roll back safeguards for children in detention by making it easier for families with minor children to be held in detention indefinitely and fast-tracking removal proceedings for vulnerable minors.
- Limits executive branch parole powers and criminalizes visa overstays with up to six months in prison for a first offense.
What's in the Bill?
The Act comprises two main divisions.
Division A
- Division A, dedicated to border security, includes plans for border wall construction, improvements in border and port security technology, the strengthening of requirements for barriers along the southern border, technology upgrades for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the reauthorization of the Anti-Border Corruption Act.
- The Act also calls for establishing workload staffing models for CBP's U.S. Border Patrol and Air and Marine Operations.
- Division A includes restrictions on funding, the collection of DNA and biometric information at the border, and regular publication of operational statistics by CBP.
- The Act also bans COVID-19 vaccine mandates or adverse action against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees.
Division B
- Division B addresses immigration enforcement and foreign affairs--including asylum reform and border protection, border safety and migrant protection, immigration parole reform, and provisions for the protection of children.
Asylum Reform
- The Act undoes protections for migrant children, which are currently upheld by the Flores Settlement Agreement.
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- This landmark agreement stipulates conditions for the legal detention of children in U.S. immigration custody.
- The Act proposes to diminish these protections by removing the existing presumption against detaining noncitizen children accompanying their families.
- Under the proposed Act, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be mandated to reinstitute family detention, effectively holding parents and children who enter the U.S. unauthorized in immigration detention if the parent is charged with improper entry.
- The Act introduces an amendment to the bipartisan William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, mandating the return of all unaccompanied migrant children — not just those from Mexico and Canada — to their countries of origin unless they are trafficking victims or express fear of return.
- The legislation proposes to fast-track removal proceedings for unaccompanied migrant children who may qualify for humanitarian relief. These expedited proceedings would occur within two weeks of an initial screening, which would take place within 48 hours of apprehension.
- H.R. 2 seeks to extend the transfer timeline of unaccompanied migrant children to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 72 hours to 30 days for those with humanitarian claims. It also introduces discretionary transfers, extending the time migrant children could be held in border facilities unequipped to care for minors.
- The Act will also require significant changes in the employment eligibility verification process and system. It enhances penalties for fraud and misuse of documents and carries out identity authentication employment eligibility verification pilot programs.
Employer Reform
The bill requires employers to provide and maintain proof of hiring only documented workers. Specifically, the bill calls for the following:
- A nationwide mandate requiring employers to verify the eligibility of their employees to legally work in the U.S., placing a heavy burden on small businesses and key sectors.
- Employers would need to attest under penalty of perjury that they have verified a potential employee's immigration status.
- The introduction of a new Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS), administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through which employers would verify workers' eligibility.
- Employers would be required to end the employment of foreign nationals confirmed as ineligible to work.
- Escalated criminal penalties for habitual hiring violations, including imprisonment for up to 18 months and fines up to $5,000 per unauthorized worker.
What Supporters are Saying
"[A]re taking action to address the chaos at our nation’s borders by delivering legislation that will support our Border Patrol agents, block the flow of fentanyl into our country and put an end to the Biden Border Crisis.”
What Opponents are Saying
- A White House statement said that while the Biden administration supports reforms to the nation's immigration system, it opposes H.R. 2 for making "elements of our immigration system worse."
"A successful border management strategy must include robust enforcement at the border of illegal crossings, deterrence to discourage illegal immigration, and legal pathways to ensure that those in need of protection are not turned away to face death or serious harm."
-Josh Herman
(Photo Credit: Canva)
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Safety & Security
What is needed is more immigration judges or officers to immediately decide qualification for asylum seekers. 2/3rds of those applying don't qualify but get to stay in the US till it's reviewed and decided.
Where this entire process is going off the rails is those that apply get to stay in the US until a decision is reached which can take years and people are taking advantage of this.
To qualify for asylum, a person needs to show they've suffered persecution for your race, religion, nationality, politics, or membership in a social group. Economic reasons don't qualify, and many interviewed by journalists are looking for a better life hence the 2/3rds rejected & deported.
"You only can win asylum if at least one of the reasons someone harmed or may harm you is because of your race, religion, nationality, political opinion (or a political opinion someone thinks you have), or the fact that you are part of a “particular social group.”
https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/asylum
https://help.unhcr.org/usa/applying-for-asylum/what-is-asylum/
Because the population of the US is dwindling we have stopped allowing women to rule their own bodies, of course with the fake excuse of preserving a life, but we don't want brown people immigrating to the country. Correct me if I'm wrong. Do immigrants add to the population of the country? Do they pay taxes, get jobs, earn money to buy homes, patronize stores? Do some of them break the law? I don't know, seems to me that plenty of 'Mericans break the law as well, since we have the highest rate of incarceration of any other civilized country, but THOSE immigrants were different? Because remember all those good Republicans have immigrants in their background and so do all of the white people in prison! Set aside the color and see how the story changes. It's all about white men becoming a minority in the United States, nothing else.
I believe the border should be closed and regulated. More judges to judge asylum or not. Columns separated by countries and why they want to be here. We need to slow down the influx and settle all those already here. Then we can like all other countries allow regulated entry.
I support immigration reform, but it must be bipartisan and it must not waste more money on a border wall that's not effective.
This bill can't pass the Senate, so there's no reason to support it.
I hope someone in the House will try again with a bill that has more moderate common sense reforms.
Another reason Biden should have been impeached because his actions allowed our immigration laws to be violated. I worked on the Hill years ago and know how politics works but this has gone to far with Biden and you people allowed it.
Protect America
Oppose
I oppose H.R.2 - Secure the Border Act of 2023
This just makes it even harder for oppressed people to better their lives and our country. Building a border wall is a complete waste of money. We need to make legally coming to the us easier not more difficult.
Don't criminalize asylum seekers.
We need common sense legislation including helping the countries we screwed up thus causing this problem. Criminalizing those seeking a better life is not the answer.
This is not reform, the wall is a waste of money! We can not except all those wanting to come to this country, but we need to do a better job of working with Mexico and Central American countries to help their citizens stay in their country!
We also need to keep the technology up to date at our boarders to keep out drug and other dangerous items! Agents have less than 15 seconds to determine if they want to search a vehicle at these crossings!
Please support Secure the Border Act of 2023 – H.R.2
It's pure racism.
We need to secure our borders and make it more difficult for nefarious actors to enter our country, but we cannot do that by stiffling all immigration. We rely on a steady pool of both skilled and unskilled workers entering the country for our continued economic stability.
Speed up the process for assylum seekers at the border.
More offices, judges, social workers ect...
Our Borders need to be completely closed at least until ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS are Deported!!! That is what is Fair to the USA Citizens RIGHT NOW. And we should keep our Borders Closed until we can, at very least, Enforce Current Laws. And we need to End DACA, End Birthright Citizenship and Chain Migration Retractive at least 25 Years!!! We must End all these VISA Schemes and Foreign Student Loopholes and Schemes. We must Cap Legal Immigration at Fewer than 250K per year minus the number of VISA, Asylum Seekers and Refugees that are currently in the USA. Extremely Effective Tracking Systems must be implemented for ALL Non USA Citizens that are in the USA. English must become the Legal Language of the USA and we must Require ALL Immigrants to Speak English. And much more must be done before we Reopen our Immigration Process!!!
Politicians must be mindful of what makes the USA a Constitutional Republic, that is that You do not Represent your own OPINION, YOU By our U.S Constitution are Required to Represent USA Citizens!!! You are not there to Destroy our Constitution and allow our Laws to Ignored. We are Far Afield of what we were Founded to Be!!! And the Blame IS on the Politicians. Honor and Abide by the U.S Constitution and we will get back on track and stay on track!!! The USA must come First on Every Politicians Priority List or that Politician is not fit to serve. And is actually committing Crimes against their own Country. And THAT IS TREASON.
God Bless The USA
We need support, not punishment!
OF COURSE there should severe limits on asylum seekers. What the Anti-American Democrats are doing is promoting invasion.
Hey Brown - why aren't the illegals vaccinated when they enter this country eh???? So, just let other countries empty their insane asylums and jails and just let them roam free giving them money left and right. So, why aren't they vaccinated - eh???
Vote to secure the border and deport all illegals. Prosecute Biden admin for not enforcing our laws.
Vote NO
Love the sound byte poll without much explanation. This is a very complex issue. And your brush is too wide! Shame on Causes for one again not giving all the fact.
Please support H.
R. 2. The border wall needs to be completed, illegal migrants should be deported, and our border patrol needs to be allowed to do their jobs. There is a legal method for entering the United States that ensures immigrants are healthy, supported by a sponsor, not possessing a criminal record, and willing to integrate into the United States community. US citizens should not be footing the bill for healthcare, education, food, clothing, and shelter for illegal immigrants. American citizens should come before illegals. Most Americans are willing to sacrificially donate to those in need, but when US citizens are forced by their federal government to financially have less than the illegal immigrants the government is importing, to be exposed to disease, to face mugging, rapes, and murders, we must ask why this administration gives preference to those illegal immigrants over its US citizens. This administration is not protecting the citizens of our country; citizens are the sacrificial lambs.
We should be welcoming to asylum seekers
Please support this H.R. 2. Our southern border is a disaster. It's obvious that the majority of the cause.com respondents are liberals. If not, why would any rational citizen not want to take control of this mess. The numbers of border crossings are staggering.