Grassley Joins Senators in Crafting Bill to Keep Families Together, Ensure Integrity of Immigration Laws
WASHINGTON
– Senator Chuck
Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined
several of his colleagues in introducing the Keep Families Together and
Enforce the Law Act. The legislation requires that children and their
parents remain together during their legal proceedings,
and incorporates many of Grassley’s suggested legislative fixes to
resolve this crisis.
"This is a simple, straight-forward solution
to a problem we all agree needs fixing,” Grassley said. “It reflects
the American people’s humanity and respects the rule of law by permanently
ensuring that families can stay together in family residential centers while
their cases are pending. This is exactly our purview as members of the
legislative branch: make laws to address pressing issues. There is an urgent
need to end the crisis, so I look forward to the bill’s rapid
consideration."
Grassley is an early
advocate of keeping children and families together following recent
reports of families being separated pending their immigration or asylum
proceedings. In remarks
at a recent Judiciary Committee hearing and in a letter
to his Democratic committee colleagues, Grassley reiterated the need for
swift and permanent action by Congress to address the matter. Furthermore,
Grassley introduced in February of this year the Secure
and Succeed Act, which would have would have prevented family
separations.
Background on the Keep
Families Together and Enforce the Law Act:
·
Requires
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to keep immigrant families together
at residential centers pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings.
·
Sets
mandatory standards of care for family residential centers.
·
Authorizes
over 200 new immigration judges and requires the DHS Secretary and Attorney
General to expedite the court proceedings of children and families.
·
Keeps
children safe by requiring a child be removed from the care of an individual in
the following cases:
o The individual presents a clear
danger to the health and safety of the child;
o DHS cannot verify that the
individual is actually the parent of the child;
o The parent of the child has a
violent history of committing aggravated felonies;
o The child has been a victim of
sexual or domestic abuse; or
o The child has been a victim of
trafficking.
The bill was led by Senator Thom
Tillis (R-N.C.). Grassley, alongside Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security
and Immigration Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas), authored significant portions
of the legislation.
Other
original cosponsors of the legislation include Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Lindsey
Graham (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas),
Dean Heller (R-Nev.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joni
Ernst (R-Iowa), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.),
Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Orrin
Hatch (R-Utah), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bob Corker
(R-Tenn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.),
Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
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