January 3, 2025
Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Burlison, Mr. Crane, and Mr. Nehls) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to clarify the standards for family detention, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Ensuring United Families at the Border Act
.
Sec. 2. Clarification of standards for family detention
(a) In general
Section 235 of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1232) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(j) Construction
(1) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, judicial determination, consent decree, or settlement agreement, the detention of any alien child who is not an unaccompanied alien child shall be governed by sections 217, 235, 236, and 241 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187, 1225, 1226, and 1231). There is no presumption that an alien child who is not an unaccompanied alien child should not be detained.
(2) Family detention
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall—
(A)
maintain the care and custody of an alien, during the period during which the charges described in clause (i) are pending, who—
(i)
is charged only with a misdemeanor offense under section 275(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1325(a)); and
(ii)
entered the United States with the alien’s child who has not attained 18 years of age; and
(B)
detain the alien with the alien’s child.
(b) Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that the amendments in this section to section 235 of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1232) are intended to satisfy the requirements of the Settlement Agreement in Flores v. Meese, No. 85–4544 (C.D. Cal) as approved by the court on January 28, 1997, with respect to its interpretation in Flores v. Johnson, 212 F. Supp. 3d 864 (C.D. Cal. 2015), that the agreement applies to accompanied minors.
(c) Effective date
The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to all actions that occur before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) Preemption of State licensing requirements
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, judicial determination, consent decree, or settlement agreement, no State may require that an immigration detention facility used to detain children who have not attained 18 years of age, or families consisting of one or more of such children and the parents or legal guardians of such children, that is located in that State, be licensed by the State or any political subdivision thereof.