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Title III — Enhancing and Utilizing Current Interior Enforcement Methods

H.R. 830 · 113th Congress · Feb 26, 2013 · Lineage

III Enhancing and Utilizing Current Interior Enforcement Methods

Sec. 301 Increase investigative efforts

(a)
Federal agents— An increase of personnel and resources will be needed to successfully enforce U.S. immigration laws and punish those who violate them. To this end, sufficient funds are authorized to be appropriated to employ 1,150 additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents.
(b)
Criminal alien program (CAP)— An additional 140 CAP officers are authorized to identify and remove criminal aliens encountered in Federal, State, and local detention facilities.
(c)
State and local law enforcement support— The Secretary of Homeland Security shall take necessary steps to allow for the training of a minimum of 250 State and local law enforcement officers in Federal immigration law enforcement procedure. This would be an expansion of an already active and successful program.

Sec. 302 Increased oversight of agents

To ensure the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to enforce integrity and ethical behavior throughout their expanded ranks, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall add no fewer than 8 Special Agents to the Office of Professional Responsibility.

Sec. 303 Border relief grant program

(a)
In General— From amounts made available under section 304, the Secretary of Homeland Security may make grants to—
(1)
sheriffs’ offices of counties any part of which is within 25 miles of the southern border of the United States; and
(2)
police departments serving a city, town, or other political subdivision in a county any part of which is within 25 miles of the southern border of the United States (including tribal police departments serving a community any part of which is within 25 miles of such border).
(b)
Use of Funds—
(1)
In general— Grant funds received under subsection (a) may be used for the following:
(A)
To conduct law enforcement operations in order to enforce criminal laws, prevent and punish criminal activity, and protect the lives, property, and security of the people within the jurisdiction of the grant recipient.
(B)
To transfer aliens detained or in the custody of the grant recipient who are not lawfully present in the United States to appropriate Federal law enforcement officials.
(C)
To enforce State and Federal laws relating to controlled substance trafficking and enforce other State and Federal criminal laws.
(2)
Payment of costs— Use of funds under paragraph (1) shall include payment for costs of—
(A)
hiring, equipping, training, and otherwise controlling the operations and deployment of, law enforcement officials engaged in duties described in paragraph (1), as well as the costs of paying overtime to such officials; and
(B)
detaining, housing, and transporting aliens who are not lawfully present in the United States, and who are taken into custody by the grant recipient, until the aliens are transferred to appropriate Federal law enforcement officials.
(3)
Detention facilities— In accordance with paragraph (2)(B), grant funds received under subsection (a) may be used for the construction, maintenance, and operation of detention facilities to detain aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States, except that not more than 20 percent of such funds may be used for the construction or renovation of detention or similar facilities.
(c)
Application—
(1)
In general— Each eligible law enforcement agency seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of Homeland Security at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary of Homeland Security may reasonably require.
(2)
Contents— Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall—
(A)
describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought; and
(B)
provide such additional assurances as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.

Sec. 304 Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out this section $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and each succeeding fiscal year.

Sec. 305 Regulations

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue regulations to carry out this Act.

Sec. 306 Rewards program

(a)
Rewards program— Section 274 (8 U.S.C. 1324) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(f) Rewards program

“(1) In general—There is established in the Department of Homeland Security a program for the payment of rewards to carry out the purposes of this section.

“(2) Purpose—The rewards program shall be designed to assist in the elimination of commercial operations to produce or sell fraudulent documents to be used for entering or remaining in the United States unlawfully and to assist in the investigation, prosecution, or disruption of a commercial alien smuggling operation.

“(3) Administration—The rewards program shall be administered by the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation, as appropriate, with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State.

“(4) Rewards authorized—In the sole discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, such Secretary, in consultation, as appropriate, with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, may pay a reward to any individual who furnishes information or testimony leading to—

“(A) the arrest or conviction of any individual conspiring or attempting to produce or sell fraudulent documents to be used for entering or remaining in the United States unlawfully or to commit an act of commercial alien smuggling involving the transportation of aliens;

“(B) the arrest or conviction of any individual committing such an act;

“(C) the arrest or conviction of any individual aiding or abetting the commission of such an act;

“(D) the prevention, frustration, or favorable resolution of such an act, including the dismantling of an operation to produce or sell fraudulent documents to be used for entering or remaining in the United States, or commercial alien smuggling operations, in whole or in significant part; or

“(E) the identification or location of an individual who holds a key leadership position in an operation to produce or sell fraudulent documents to be used for entering or remaining in the United States unlawfully or a commercial alien smuggling operation involving the transportation of aliens.

“(5) Authorization of Appropriations—There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection. Amounts appropriated under this paragraph shall remain available until expended.

“(6) Ineligibility—An officer or employee of any Federal, State, local, or foreign government who, while in performance of his or her official duties, furnishes information described in paragraph (4) shall not be eligible for a reward under this subsection for such furnishing.

“(7) Protection measures—If the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, or the Attorney General determines that an individual who furnishes information or testimony described in paragraph (4), or any spouse, child, parent, son, or daughter of such an individual, must be protected, such official may take such lawful action as the official considers necessary to effect such protection.

“(8) Limitations and certification

“(A) Maximum amount—No reward under this subsection may exceed $100,000.

“(B) Approval—Any reward under this subsection exceeding $50,000 shall be personally approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

“(C) Certification for payment—Any reward granted under this subsection shall be certified for payment by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

“(9) Publicity—The Department of Homeland Security shall be responsible for developing and implementing an advertising strategy to make known the rewards described within this section in order to solicit informants.”

Sec. 307 Increased detention facilities for aliens apprehended for illegal entry

(a)
In general— The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make arrangements for the availability of 8,000 additional beds for detaining aliens taken into custody by immigration officials.
(b)
Implementation— Efforts shall be made to—
(1)
contract private facilities whenever possible to promote efficient use and to limit the Federal Government’s maintenance of and liability for additional infrastructure;
(2)
utilize State and local facilities for the provision of additional beds; and
(3)
utilize BRAC facilities or active duty facilities.
(c)
Construction— The Department of Homeland Security shall construct facilities as necessary to meet the remainder of the 8,000 new beds to be provided.
(d)
Responsibilities— The Secretary of Homeland Security shall be responsible for providing humane conditions, health care, nutrition, and psychological services, as well as education for minors.
(e)
Authorization— All funds necessary to accomplish the directives within this section are authorized to be appropriated.

Sec. 308 Additional Immigration Judgeships and law clerks

(a)
Judgeships— The Attorney General shall create and fill twenty additional Immigration Judgeships within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b)
Clerkships— The Attorney General shall also ensure that for every two Immigration Judges there shall be no fewer than one law clerk dedicated to assisting Immigration Judges.

Sec. 309 Media campaign

(a)
In general— The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop strategies to inform the public of changes in immigration policies created by provisions in this legislation.
(b)
Notification of changes to employment verification process— The Secretary of Labor shall employ, at his or her discretion, a combination of multilingual print, television, Internet, and radio media to notify employers of changes to the employment verification process. Announcements should encourage compliance with new legislation and should explain penalties for noncompliance with provisions within this Act.
(c)
Multilingual media campaign— The Secretary of Homeland Security shall also develop a multilingual media campaign explaining the extent of this legislation, the timelines therein, and the penalties for noncompliance with this Act. Announcements should be targeted toward undocumented aliens and should emphasize—
(1)
provisions in this Act that enhance border security and interior enforcement;
(2)
punishment for apprehension and forced removal of undocumented aliens; and
(3)
legal methods of reentering the United States, including temporary work visas.
(d)
Cooperation with other governments— The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make all reasonable attempts to cooperate with the governments of the countries from which the largest number of undocumented aliens originate in the implementation of this media campaign.