Bill · H.R. 61· House(119-HR-61)
Ensuring United Families at the Border Act
- Introduced
- 1/3/2025
- Last activity
- 1/3/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Andy Biggs
- Cosponsors
- - 3 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is titled the Ensuring United Families at the Border Act and was introduced in the House of Representatives. It amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to clarify standards for family detention. The text states that the detention of alien children who are not unaccompanied will be governed by specific sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It removes any presumption that an alien child who is not unaccompanied should not be detained. The Secretary of Homeland Security is directed to maintain care and custody and detain certain aliens with their children under specific conditions. Additionally, the bill preempts State licensing requirements for immigration detention facilities used for children or families.
Yes
Does this tighten control of the border?+6
The bill enhances enforcement mechanisms by mandating the detention of families entering unlawfully together.
Does this give the federal government more power?+4
The legislation preempts state licensing requirements for immigration detention facilities.
The opposite
Would immigrants be better off under this?-6
The legislation mandates family detention policies for certain border crossers, negatively impacting detained families.
Would children be better off under this?-5
The bill allows for the detention of accompanied minor children alongside their parents.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Section 2 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to detain an alien with the alien's child under subsection (j)(2)(B), which keeps the family together during the period when pending charges are for a misdemeanor offense under section 275(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and they entered the United States with their child who is under 18 years of age.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Section 2 states under subsection (j)(1) that there is no presumption that an alien child who is not an unaccompanied alien child should not be detained, meaning accompanied children can be held in detention.
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Section 2 allows for the detention of families and children governed by specific sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act under subsection (j)(1) regardless of any other provision of law, judicial determination, consent decree, or settlement agreement.
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Section 2 specifies under subsection (d) that no State may require an immigration detention facility used to detain children under 18 or families to be licensed by the State or any political subdivision thereof, overriding other laws, judicial determinations, consent decrees, or settlement agreements.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Immigrants-6Good For Children-5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Border Security+6
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+4
- 1/3/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Eric BurlisonRepublican · Missouri
Elijah CraneRepublican · Arizona
Troy NehlsRepublican · Texas