Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2014
A BILL
To modify the treatment of unaccompanied alien children who are in Federal custody by reason of their immigration status, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Safe removal of minors
“(2) Country agreements—The Secretary of State shall negotiate agreements between the United States and other countries with respect to the repatriation of children. Such agreements shall be designed to protect children from severe forms of trafficking in persons, and shall, at a minimum, provide that—
“(A) no child shall be returned to the child's country of nationality or of last habitual residence unless returned to appropriate employees or officials, including child welfare officials where available, of the accepting country's government;
“(B) no child shall be returned to the child's country of nationality or of last habitual residence outside of reasonable business hours; and
“(C) border personnel of the countries that are parties to such agreements are trained in the terms of such agreements.”
Sec. 3 Clarification of intent regarding taxpayer-provided counsel
Sec. 4 Special immigrant juvenile visas
Sec. 5 Credible fear interviews
Sec. 6 Recording expedited removal and credible fear interviews
Sec. 7 Parole reform
“(5) Humanitarian and public interest parole
“(A) In general—Subject to the provisions of this paragraph and section 214(f)(2), the Secretary of Homeland Security, in the sole discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, may on a case-by-case basis parole an alien into the United States temporarily, under such conditions as the Secretary of Homeland Security may prescribe, only—
“(i) for an urgent humanitarian reason (as described under subparagraph (B)); or
“(ii) for a reason deemed strictly in the public interest (as described under subparagraph (C)).
“(B) Humanitarian parole—The Secretary of Homeland Security may parole an alien based on an urgent humanitarian reason described in this subparagraph only if—
“(i) the alien has a medical emergency and the alien cannot obtain necessary treatment in the foreign state in which the alien is residing or the medical emergency is life-threatening and there is insufficient time for the alien to be admitted through the normal visa process;
“(ii) the alien is needed in the United States in order to donate an organ or other tissue for transplant into a close family member; or
“(iii) the alien has a close family member in the United States whose death is imminent and the alien could not arrive in the United States in time to see such family member alive if the alien were to be admitted through the normal visa process.
“(C) Public interest parole—The Secretary of Homeland Security may parole an alien based on a reason deemed strictly in the public interest described in this subparagraph only if the alien has assisted the United States Government in a matter, such as a criminal investigation, espionage, or other similar law enforcement activity, and either the alien’s presence in the United States is required by the Government or the alien’s life would be threatened if the alien were not permitted to come to the United States.
“(D) Limitation on the use of parole authority—The Secretary of Homeland Security may not use the parole authority under this paragraph to permit to come to the United States aliens who have applied for and have been found to be ineligible for refugee status or any alien to whom the provisions of this paragraph do not apply.
“(E) Parole not an admission—Parole of an alien under this paragraph shall not be considered an admission of the alien into the United States. When the purposes of the parole of an alien have been served, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the alien shall immediately return or be returned to the custody from which the alien was paroled and the alien shall be considered for admission to the United States on the same basis as other similarly situated applicants for admission.
“(F) Report to Congress—Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate describing the number and categories of aliens paroled into the United States under this paragraph. Each such report shall contain information and data concerning the number and categories of aliens paroled, the duration of parole, and the current status of aliens paroled during the preceding fiscal year.”
Sec. 8 Report to Congress on parole procedures and standardization of parole procedures
Sec. 9 Grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for alien gang members
“(53)
“(A) The term “criminal gang” means an ongoing group, club, organization, or association of 5 or more persons that has as one of its primary purposes the commission of 1 or more of the following criminal offenses and the members of which engage, or have engaged within the past 5 years, in a continuing series of such offenses, or that has been designated as a criminal gang by the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, as meeting these criteria. The offenses described, whether in violation of Federal or State law or foreign law and regardless of whether the offenses occurred before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, are the following:
“(i) A “felony drug offense” (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)).
“(ii) An offense under section 274 (relating to bringing in and harboring certain aliens), section 277 (relating to aiding or assisting certain aliens to enter the United States), or section 278 (relating to importation of alien for immoral purpose).
“(iii) A crime of violence (as defined in section 16 of title 18, United States Code).
“(iv) A crime involving obstruction of justice, tampering with or retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant, or burglary.
“(v) Any conduct punishable under sections 1028 and 1029 of title 18, United States Code (relating to fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents or access devices), sections 1581 through 1594 of such title (relating to peonage, slavery and trafficking in persons), section 1952 of such title (relating to interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises), section 1956 of such title (relating to the laundering of monetary instruments), section 1957 of such title (relating to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity), or sections 2312 through 2315 of such title (relating to interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles or stolen property).
“(vi) A conspiracy to commit an offense described in clauses (i) through (v).
“(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including any effective date), the term applies regardless of whether the conduct occurred before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this paragraph.”
“(J) Aliens associated with criminal gangs—Any alien is inadmissible who a consular officer, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Attorney General knows or has reason to believe—
“(i) to be or to have been a member of a criminal gang (as defined in section 101(a)(53)); or
“(ii) to have participated in the activities of a criminal gang (as defined in section 101(a)(53)), knowing or having reason to know that such activities will promote, further, aid, or support the illegal activity of the criminal gang.”
“(G) Aliens associated with criminal gangs—Any alien is deportable who the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General knows or has reason to believe—
“(i) is or has been a member of a criminal gang (as defined in section 101(a)(53)); or
“(ii) has participated in the activities of a criminal gang (as so defined), knowing or having reason to know that such activities will promote, further, aid, or support the illegal activity of the criminal gang.”
“220. Designation
“(a) In general—The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State may designate a group or association as a criminal street gang if their conduct is described in section 101(a)(53) or if the group or association conduct poses a significant risk that threatens the security and the public safety of United States nationals or the national security, homeland security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
“(b) Effective date—Designations under subsection (a) shall remain in effect until the designation is revoked after consultation between the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State or is terminated in accordance with Federal law.”
“(vi) the alien is described in section 212(a)(2)(J)(i) or section 237(a)(2)(G)(i) (relating to participation in criminal street gangs); or”
“(iii) the alien is, or at any time after admission has been, a member of a criminal gang (as defined in section 101(a)(53)).”
“(III) no alien who is, or was at any time after admission has been, a member of a criminal gang (as defined in section 101(a)(53)) shall be eligible for any immigration benefit under this subparagraph;”
Sec. 10 Unaccompanied alien child defined
“(2) The term “unaccompanied alien child”—
“(A) means an alien who—
“(i) has no lawful immigration status in the United States;
“(ii) has not attained 18 years of age; and
“(iii) with respect to whom—
“(I) there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States;
“(II) no parent or legal guardian in the United States is available to provide care and physical custody; or
“(III) no sibling over 18 years of age, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or cousin over 18 years of age is available to provide care and physical custody; except that
“(B) such term shall cease to include an alien if at any time a parent, legal guardian, sibling over 18 years of age, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or cousin over 18 years of age of the alien is found in the United States and is available to provide care and physical custody (and the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall revoke accordingly any prior designation of the alien under this paragraph).”
Sec. 11 Modifications to preferential availability for asylum for unaccompanied alien minors
Sec. 12 Notification and transfer of custody regarding unaccompanied alien minors
Sec. 13 Information sharing between Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Homeland Security
“(5) Information sharing—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall share with the Secretary of Homeland Security any information requested on a child who has been determined to be an unaccompanied alien child and who is or has been in the custody of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, including the location of the child and any person to whom custody of the child has been transferred, for any legitimate law enforcement objective, including enforcement of the immigration laws.”