Bill · S. 3054· Senate(119-S-3054)
Kayla Hamilton Act
- Introduced
- 10/23/2025
- Last activity
- 10/23/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- John Cornyn
- Cosponsors
- - 13 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Kayla Hamilton Act and it amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It sets new rules for how the government handles placement determinations and secure facility requirements for unaccompanied alien children. The legislation requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General before placing a child. It also bans releasing these children on their own recognizance and prohibits placing them with individuals who have specific criminal histories or who are not United States citizens or lawful permanent residents. Additionally, the bill mandates that background information on potential sponsors be shared with the Department of Homeland Security and exempts agencies from certain administrative procedures if it speeds up implementation.
Yes
Does this tighten control of the border?+6
The bill enhances border security and interior enforcement regarding unaccompanied alien children by increasing vetting and secure placement requirements.
Would children be better off under this?+5
The bill increases safety measures and background checks to protect vulnerable unaccompanied minors from dangerous living situations and trafficking.
Does this give the federal government more power?+4
The legislation increases federal oversight and interagency consultation requirements for handling unaccompanied alien children.
The opposite
Would immigrants be better off under this?-7
The bill imposes strict restrictions, such as barring non-citizens and non-lawful permanent residents from sponsoring unaccompanied children and mandating secure detention for certain minors.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 3 requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to protect unaccompanied alien children from smugglers, traffickers, gangs, and others who might seek to victimize them. This provision aims to increase the safety and security of vulnerable children in federal custody.
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Section 3 prohibits the placement of unaccompanied alien children with individuals who have a history of serious crimes such as sex offenses, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, murder, or human trafficking, as well as anyone residing in a household with such individuals. This protects children from being placed in dangerous or harmful home environments.
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Section 3 mandates that background and criminal records checks, including fingerprint-based national criminal history checks and searches of the national sex offender website, be conducted on individuals seeking to sponsor a child and all adult residents in their household. This ensures thorough vetting before any child is placed in a home.
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Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Section 3 strictly prohibits the release of any unaccompanied alien child on his or her own recognizance. This means children who might otherwise be released under previous rules will now face mandatory custody conditions.
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Section 3 requires that unaccompanied alien children who are 12 years of age or older be placed in a secure facility for the duration of their immigration proceedings if they are deemed a flight risk or a danger, including those with gang-related tattoos, pending criminal charges, or certain arrest records. This could lead to a significant increase in the detention of minors in secure facilities.
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Section 3 forbids the placement of unaccompanied alien children with any individual who is not a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States. This places a heavy burden on families and sponsors who are living in the country under other legal statuses or without permanent residency, entirely barring them from sponsoring a child.
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Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Border Security+6
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+4
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+5Good For Immigrants-7
- 7/23/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/27/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/23/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 10 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee
Ted BuddRepublican · North Carolina
Katie BrittRepublican · Alabama
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana
Ted CruzRepublican · Texas
Lindsey GrahamRepublican · South Carolina
- Darline Graham
Republican · South Carolina
John KennedyRepublican · Louisiana
Cynthia LummisRepublican · Wyoming
James RischRepublican · Idaho
Eric SchmittRepublican · Missouri
Tommy TubervilleRepublican · Alabama
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina