HouseH.R. 9773119th Congress

Permanent Trump Secure Border Act

Full Text

Official text as published. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9773 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9773

  To secure the borders of the United States, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 2026

   Mr. Roy introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To secure the borders of the United States, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Permanent Trump 
Secure Border Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Severability.
              TITLE I--ASYLUM REFORM AND BORDER PROTECTION

Sec. 101. Safe third country.
Sec. 102. Credible fear interviews.
Sec. 103. Clarification of asylum eligibility.
Sec. 104. Exceptions.
Sec. 105. Employment authorization.
Sec. 106. Rules for determining asylum eligibility.
Sec. 107. Firm resettlement.
Sec. 108. Notice concerning frivolous asylum applications.
Sec. 109. Technical amendments.
Sec. 110. Requirement for procedures relating to certain asylum 
                            applications.
             TITLE II--BORDER SAFETY AND MIGRANT PROTECTION

Sec. 201. Inspection of applicants for admission.
                   TITLE III--PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

Sec. 301. Repatriation of unaccompanied alien children.
Sec. 302. Special immigrant juvenile status for immigrants unable to 
                            reunite with either parent.
Sec. 303. Rule of construction.
            TITLE IV--ENSURING UNITED FAMILIES AT THE BORDER

Sec. 401. Clarification of standards for family detention.
                   TITLE V--VISA OVERSTAYS PENALTIES

Sec. 501. Expanded penalties for illegal entry or presence.
                  TITLE VI--IMMIGRATION PAROLE REFORM

Sec. 601. Immigration parole reform.
Sec. 602. Implementation.

SEC. 2. SEVERABILITY.

    If any provision of this Act or any amendment by this Act, or the 
application of such provision or amendment to any person or 
circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act 
and the application of such provision or amendment to any other person 
or circumstance shall not be affected.

              TITLE I--ASYLUM REFORM AND BORDER PROTECTION

SEC. 101. SAFE THIRD COUNTRY.

    Section 208(a)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1158(a)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``if the Attorney General determines'' and 
        inserting ``if the Attorney General or the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security determines--'';
            (2) by striking ``that the alien may be removed'' and 
        inserting the following:
                            ``(i) that the alien may be removed'';
            (3) by striking ``, pursuant to a bilateral or multilateral 
        agreement, to'' and inserting ``to'';
            (4) by inserting ``or the Secretary, on a case by case 
        basis,'' before ``finds that'';
            (5) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; 
        or''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(ii) that the alien entered, attempted to enter, or 
        arrived in the United States after transiting through at least 
        one country outside the alien's country of citizenship, 
        nationality, or last lawful habitual residence en route to the 
        United States, unless--
                    ``(I) the alien demonstrates that he or she applied 
                for protection from persecution or torture in at least 
                one country outside the alien's country of citizenship, 
                nationality, or last lawful habitual residence through 
                which the alien transited en route to the United 
                States, and the alien received a final judgment denying 
                the alien protection in each country;
                    ``(II) the alien demonstrates that he or she was a 
                victim of a severe form of trafficking in which a 
                commercial sex act was induced by force, fraud, or 
                coercion, or in which the person induced to perform 
                such act was under the age of 18 years; or in which the 
                trafficking included the recruitment, harboring, 
                transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for 
                labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or 
                coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary 
                servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery, and was 
                unable to apply for protection from persecution in each 
                country through which the alien transited en route to 
                the United States as a result of such severe form of 
                trafficking; or
                    ``(III) the only countries through which the alien 
                transited en route to the United States were, at the 
                time of the transit, not parties to the 1951 United 
                Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 
                the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 
                or the United Nations Convention against Torture and 
                Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or 
                Punishment.''.

SEC. 102. CREDIBLE FEAR INTERVIEWS.

    Section 235(b)(1)(B)(v) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1225(b)(1)(B)(v)) is amended by striking ``there is a 
significant possibility'' and all that follows, and inserting ``, 
taking into account the credibility of the statements made by the alien 
in support of the alien's claim, as determined pursuant to section 
208(b)(1)(B)(iii), and such other facts as are known to the officer, 
the alien more likely than not could establish eligibility for asylum 
under section 208, and it is more likely than not that the statements 
made by, and on behalf of, the alien in support of the alien's claim 
are true.''.

SEC. 103. CLARIFICATION OF ASYLUM ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 208(b)(1)(A) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting after 
``section 101(a)(42)(A)'' the following: ``(in accordance with the 
rules set forth in this section), and is eligible to apply for asylum 
under subsection (a)''.
    (b) Place of Arrival.--Section 208(a)(1) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or who arrives in the United States 
        (whether or not at a designated port of arrival and including 
        an alien who is brought to the United States after having been 
        interdicted in international or United States waters),''; and
            (2) by inserting after ``United States'' the following: 
        ``and has arrived in the United States at a port of entry 
        (including an alien who is brought to the United States after 
        having been interdicted in international or United States 
        waters),''.

SEC. 104. EXCEPTIONS.

    Paragraph (2) of section 208(b) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) Exceptions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to 
                an alien if the Secretary of Homeland Security or the 
                Attorney General determines that--
                            ``(i) the alien ordered, incited, assisted, 
                        or otherwise participated in the persecution of 
                        any person on account of race, religion, 
                        nationality, membership in a particular social 
                        group, or political opinion;
                            ``(ii) the alien has been convicted of any 
                        felony under Federal, State, tribal, or local 
                        law;
                            ``(iii) the alien has been convicted of any 
                        misdemeanor offense under Federal, State, 
                        tribal, or local law involving--
                                    ``(I) the unlawful possession or 
                                use of an identification document, 
                                authentication feature, or false 
                                identification document (as those terms 
                                and phrases are defined in the 
                                jurisdiction where the conviction 
                                occurred), unless the alien can 
                                establish that the conviction resulted 
                                from circumstances showing that--
                                            ``(aa) the document or 
                                        feature was presented before 
                                        boarding a common carrier;
                                            ``(bb) the document or 
                                        feature related to the alien's 
                                        eligibility to enter the United 
                                        States;
                                            ``(cc) the alien used the 
                                        document or feature to depart a 
                                        country wherein the alien has 
                                        claimed a fear of persecution; 
                                        and
                                            ``(dd) the alien claimed a 
                                        fear of persecution without 
                                        delay upon presenting himself 
                                        or herself to an immigration 
                                        officer upon arrival at a 
                                        United States port of entry;
                                    ``(II) the unlawful receipt of a 
                                Federal public benefit (as defined in 
                                section 401(c) of the Personal 
                                Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
                                Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
                                1611(c))), from a Federal entity, or 
                                the unlawful receipt of similar public 
                                benefits from a State, tribal, or local 
                                entity; or
                                    ``(III) possession or trafficking 
                                of a controlled substance or controlled 
                                substance paraphernalia, as those 
                                phrases are defined under the law of 
                                the jurisdiction where the conviction 
                                occurred, other than a single offense 
                                involving possession for one's own use 
                                of 30 grams or less of marijuana (as 
                                marijuana is defined under the law of 
                                the jurisdiction where the conviction 
                                occurred);
                            ``(iv) the alien has been convicted of an 
                        offense arising under paragraph (1)(A) or (2) 
                        of section 274(a), or under section 276;
                            ``(v) the alien has been convicted of a 
                        Federal, State, tribal, or local crime that the 
                        Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland 
                        Security knows, or has reason to believe, was 
                        committed in support, promotion, or furtherance 
                        of the activity of a criminal street gang (as 
                        defined under the law of the jurisdiction where 
                        the conviction occurred or in section 521(a) of 
                        title 18, United States Code);
                            ``(vi) the alien has been convicted of an 
                        offense for driving while intoxicated or 
                        impaired, as those terms are defined under the 
                        law of the jurisdiction where the conviction 
                        occurred (including a conviction for driving 
                        while under the influence of or impaired by 
                        alcohol or drugs), without regard to whether 
                        the conviction is classified as a misdemeanor 
                        or felony under Federal, State, tribal, or 
                        local law, in which such intoxicated or 
                        impaired driving was a cause of serious bodily 
                        injury or death of another person;
                            ``(vii) the alien has been convicted of 
                        more than one offense for driving while 
                        intoxicated or impaired, as those terms are 
                        defined under the law of the jurisdiction where 
                        the conviction occurred (including a conviction 
                        for driving while under the influence of or 
                        impaired by alcohol or drugs), without regard 
                        to whether the conviction is classified as a 
                        misdemeanor or felony under Federal, State, 
                        tribal, or local law;
                            ``(viii) the alien has been convicted of a 
                        crime--
                                    ``(I) that involves conduct 
                                amounting to a crime of stalking;
                                    ``(II) of child abuse, child 
                                neglect, or child abandonment; or
                                    ``(III) that involves conduct 
                                amounting to a domestic assault or 
                                battery offense, including--
                                            ``(aa) a misdemeanor crime 
                                        of domestic violence, as 
                                        described in section 921(a)(33) 
                                        of title 18, United States 
                                        Code;
                                            ``(bb) a crime of domestic 
                                        violence, as described in 
                                        section 40002(a)(12) of the 
                                        Violence Against Women Act of 
                                        1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(12)); 
                                        or
                                            ``(cc) any crime based on 
                                        conduct in which the alien 
                                        harassed, coerced, intimidated, 
                                        voluntarily or recklessly used 
                                        (or threatened to use) force or 
                                        violence against, or inflicted 
                                        physical injury or physical 
                                        pain, however slight, upon a 
                                        person--

                                                    ``(AA) who is a 
                                                current or former 
                                                spouse of the alien;

                                                    ``(BB) with whom 
                                                the alien shares a 
                                                child;

                                                    ``(CC) who is 
                                                cohabitating with, or 
                                                who has cohabitated 
                                                with, the alien as a 
                                                spouse;

                                                    ``(DD) who is 
                                                similarly situated to a 
                                                spouse of the alien 
                                                under the domestic or 
                                                family violence laws of 
                                                the jurisdiction where 
                                                the offense occurred; 
                                                or

                                                    ``(EE) who is 
                                                protected from that 
                                                alien's acts under the 
                                                domestic or family 
                                                violence laws of the 
                                                United States or of any 
                                                State, tribal 
                                                government, or unit of 
                                                local government;

                            ``(ix) the alien has engaged in acts of 
                        battery or extreme cruelty upon a person and 
                        the person--
                                    ``(I) is a current or former spouse 
                                of the alien;
                                    ``(II) shares a child with the 
                                alien;
                                    ``(III) cohabitates or has 
                                cohabitated with the alien as a spouse;
                                    ``(IV) is similarly situated to a 
                                spouse of the alien under the domestic 
                                or family violence laws of the 
                                jurisdiction where the offense 
                                occurred; or
                                    ``(V) is protected from that 
                                alien's acts under the domestic or 
                                family violence laws of the United 
                                States or of any State, tribal 
                                government, or unit of local 
                                government;
                            ``(x) the alien, having been convicted by a 
                        final judgment of a particularly serious crime, 
                        constitutes a danger to the community of the 
                        United States;
                            ``(xi) there are serious reasons for 
                        believing that the alien has committed a 
                        serious nonpolitical crime outside the United 
                        States prior to the arrival of the alien in the 
                        United States;
                            ``(xii) there are reasonable grounds for 
                        regarding the alien as a danger to the security 
                        of the United States;
                            ``(xiii) the alien is described in 
                        subclause (I), (II), (III), (IV), or (VI) of 
                        section 212(a)(3)(B)(i) or section 237(a)(4)(B) 
                        (relating to terrorist activity), unless, in 
                        the case only of an alien inadmissible under 
                        subclause (IV) of section 212(a)(3)(B)(i), the 
                        Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney 
                        General determines, in the Secretary's or the 
                        Attorney General's discretion, that there are 
                        not reasonable grounds for regarding the alien 
                        as a danger to the security of the United 
                        States;
                            ``(xiv) the alien was firmly resettled in 
                        another country prior to arriving in the United 
                        States; or
                            ``(xv) there are reasonable grounds for 
                        concluding the alien could avoid persecution by 
                        relocating to another part of the alien's 
                        country of nationality or, in the case of an 
                        alien having no nationality, another part of 
                        the alien's country of last habitual residence.
                    ``(B) Special rules.--
                            ``(i) Particularly serious crime; serious 
                        nonpolitical crime outside the united states.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--For purposes of 
                                subparagraph (A)(x), the Attorney 
                                General or Secretary of Homeland 
                                Security, in their discretion, may 
                                determine that a conviction constitutes 
                                a particularly serious crime based on--
                                            ``(aa) the nature of the 
                                        conviction;
                                            ``(bb) the type of sentence 
                                        imposed; or
                                            ``(cc) the circumstances 
                                        and underlying facts of the 
                                        conviction.
                                    ``(II) Determination.--In making a 
                                determination under subclause (I), the 
                                Attorney General or Secretary of 
                                Homeland Security may consider all 
                                reliable information and is not limited 
                                to facts found by the criminal court or 
                                provided in the underlying record of 
                                conviction.
                                    ``(III) Treatment of felonies.--In 
                                making a determination under subclause 
                                (I), an alien who has been convicted of 
                                a felony (as defined under this 
                                section) or an aggravated felony (as 
                                defined under section 101(a)(43)), 
                                shall be considered to have been 
                                convicted of a particularly serious 
                                crime.
                                    ``(IV) Interpol red notice.--In 
                                making a determination under 
                                subparagraph (A)(xi), an Interpol Red 
                                Notice may constitute reliable evidence 
                                that the alien has committed a serious 
                                nonpolitical crime outside the United 
                                States.
                            ``(ii) Crimes and exceptions.--
                                    ``(I) Driving while intoxicated or 
                                impaired.--A finding under subparagraph 
                                (A)(vi) does not require the Attorney 
                                General or Secretary of Homeland 
                                Security to find the first conviction 
                                for driving while intoxicated or 
                                impaired (including a conviction for 
                                driving while under the influence of or 
                                impaired by alcohol or drugs) as a 
                                predicate offense. The Attorney General 
                                or Secretary of Homeland Security need 
                                only make a factual determination that 
                                the alien previously was convicted for 
                                driving while intoxicated or impaired 
                                as those terms are defined under the 
                                jurisdiction where the conviction 
                                occurred (including a conviction for 
                                driving while under the influence of or 
                                impaired by alcohol or drugs).
                                    ``(II) Stalking and other crimes.--
                                In making a determination under 
                                subparagraph (A)(viii), including 
                                determining the existence of a domestic 
                                relationship between the alien and the 
                                victim, the underlying conduct of the 
                                crime may be considered, and the 
                                Attorney General or Secretary of 
                                Homeland Security is not limited to 
                                facts found by the criminal court or 
                                provided in the underlying record of 
                                conviction.
                                    ``(III) Battery or extreme 
                                cruelty.--In making a determination 
                                under subparagraph (A)(ix), the phrase 
                                `battery or extreme cruelty' includes--
                                            ``(aa) any act or 
                                        threatened act of violence, 
                                        including any forceful 
                                        detention, which results or 
                                        threatens to result in physical 
                                        or mental injury;
                                            ``(bb) psychological or 
                                        sexual abuse or exploitation, 
                                        including rape, molestation, 
                                        incest, or forced prostitution, 
                                        shall be considered acts of 
                                        violence; and
                                            ``(cc) other abusive acts, 
                                        including acts that, in and of 
                                        themselves, may not initially 
                                        appear violent, but that are a 
                                        part of an overall pattern of 
                                        violence.
                                    ``(IV) Exception for victims of 
                                domestic violence.--An alien who was 
                                convicted of an offense described in 
                                clause (viii) or (ix) of subparagraph 
                                (A) is not ineligible for asylum on 
                                that basis if the alien satisfies the 
                                criteria under section 237(a)(7)(A).
                    ``(C) Specific circumstances.--Paragraph (1) shall 
                not apply to an alien whose claim is based on--
                            ``(i) personal animus or retribution, 
                        including personal animus in which the alleged 
                        persecutor has not targeted, or manifested an 
                        animus against, other members of an alleged 
                        particular social group in addition to the 
                        member who has raised the claim at issue;
                            ``(ii) the applicant's generalized 
                        disapproval of, disagreement with, or 
                        opposition to criminal, terrorist, gang, 
                        guerilla, or other non-state organizations 
                        absent expressive behavior in furtherance of a 
                        discrete cause against such organizations 
                        related to control of a State or expressive 
                        behavior that is antithetical to the State or a 
                        legal unit of the State;
                            ``(iii) the applicant's resistance to 
                        recruitment or coercion by guerrilla, criminal, 
                        gang, terrorist, or other non-state 
                        organizations;
                            ``(iv) the targeting of the applicant for 
                        criminal activity for financial gain based on 
                        wealth or affluence or perceptions of wealth or 
                        affluence;
                            ``(v) the applicant's criminal activity; or
                            ``(vi) the applicant's perceived, past or 
                        present, gang affiliation.
                    ``(D) Definitions and clarifications.--
                            ``(i) Definitions.--For purposes of this 
                        paragraph:
                                    ``(I) Felony.--The term `felony' 
                                means--
                                            ``(aa) any crime defined as 
                                        a felony by the relevant 
                                        jurisdiction (Federal, State, 
                                        tribal, or local) of 
                                        conviction; or
                                            ``(bb) any crime punishable 
                                        by more than one year of 
                                        imprisonment.
                                    ``(II) Misdemeanor.--The term 
                                `misdemeanor' means--
                                            ``(aa) any crime defined as 
                                        a misdemeanor by the relevant 
                                        jurisdiction (Federal, State, 
                                        tribal, or local) of 
                                        conviction; or
                                            ``(bb) any crime not 
                                        punishable by more than one 
                                        year of imprisonment.
                            ``(ii) Clarifications.--
                                    ``(I) Construction.--For purposes 
                                of this paragraph, whether any activity 
                                or conviction also may constitute a 
                                basis for removal is immaterial to a 
                                determination of asylum eligibility.
                                    ``(II) Attempt, conspiracy, or 
                                solicitation.--For purposes of this 
                                paragraph, all references to a criminal 
                                offense or criminal conviction shall be 
                                deemed to include any attempt, 
                                conspiracy, or solicitation to commit 
                                the offense or any other inchoate form 
                                of the offense.
                                    ``(III) Effect of certain orders.--
                                            ``(aa) In general.--No 
                                        order vacating a conviction, 
                                        modifying a sentence, 
                                        clarifying a sentence, or 
                                        otherwise altering a conviction 
                                        or sentence shall have any 
                                        effect under this paragraph 
                                        unless the Attorney General or 
                                        Secretary of Homeland Security 
                                        determines that--

                                                    ``(AA) the court 
                                                issuing the order had 
                                                jurisdiction and 
                                                authority to do so; and

                                                    ``(BB) the order 
                                                was not entered for 
                                                rehabilitative purposes 
                                                or for purposes of 
                                                ameliorating the 
                                                immigration 
                                                consequences of the 
                                                conviction or sentence.

                                            ``(bb) Ameliorating 
                                        immigration consequences.--For 
                                        purposes of item (aa)(BB), the 
                                        order shall be presumed to be 
                                        for the purpose of ameliorating 
                                        immigration consequences if--

                                                    ``(AA) the order 
                                                was entered after the 
                                                initiation of any 
                                                proceeding to remove 
                                                the alien from the 
                                                United States; or

                                                    ``(BB) the alien 
                                                moved for the order 
                                                more than one year 
                                                after the date of the 
                                                original order of 
                                                conviction or 
                                                sentencing, whichever 
                                                is later.

                                            ``(cc) Authority of 
                                        immigration judge.--An 
                                        immigration judge is not 
                                        limited to consideration only 
                                        of material included in any 
                                        order vacating a conviction, 
                                        modifying a sentence, or 
                                        clarifying a sentence to 
                                        determine whether such order 
                                        should be given any effect 
                                        under this paragraph, but may 
                                        consider such additional 
                                        information as the immigration 
                                        judge determines appropriate.
                    ``(E) Additional limitations.--The Secretary of 
                Homeland Security or the Attorney General may by 
                regulation establish additional limitations and 
                conditions, consistent with this section, under which 
                an alien shall be ineligible for asylum under paragraph 
                (1).
                    ``(F) No judicial review.--There shall be no 
                judicial review of a determination of the Secretary of 
                Homeland Security or the Attorney General under 
                subparagraph (A)(xiii).''.

SEC. 105. EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION.

    Paragraph (2) of section 208(d) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1158(d)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) Employment authorization.--
                    ``(A) Authorization permitted.--An applicant for 
                asylum is not entitled to employment authorization, but 
                such authorization may be provided under regulation by 
                the Secretary of Homeland Security. An applicant who is 
                not otherwise eligible for employment authorization 
                shall not be granted such authorization prior to the 
                date that is 180 days after the date of filing of the 
                application for asylum.
                    ``(B) Termination.--Each grant of employment 
                authorization under subparagraph (A), and any renewal 
                or extension thereof, shall be valid for a period of 6 
                months, except that such authorization, renewal, or 
                extension shall terminate in accordance with section 
                100011(b) of Public Law 119-21 (commonly referred to as 
                the `One Big Beautiful Bill Act').
                    ``(C) Renewal.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
                may not grant, renew, or extend employment 
                authorization to an alien if the alien was previously 
                granted employment authorization under subparagraph 
                (A), and the employment authorization was terminated in 
                accordance with section 100011(b) of Public Law 119-21 
                (commonly referred to as the `One Big Beautiful Bill 
                Act'), unless a Federal court of appeals remands the 
                alien's case to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
                    ``(D) Ineligibility.--The Secretary of Homeland 
                Security may not grant employment authorization to an 
                alien under this paragraph if the alien--
                            ``(i) is ineligible for asylum under 
                        subsection (b)(2)(A); or
                            ``(ii) entered or attempted to enter the 
                        United States at a place and time other than 
                        lawfully through a United States port of 
                        entry.''.

SEC. 106. RULES FOR DETERMINING ASYLUM ELIGIBILITY.

    Section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Rules for Determining Asylum Eligibility.--In making a 
determination under subsection (b)(1)(A) with respect to whether an 
alien is a refugee within the meaning of section 101(a)(42)(A), the 
following shall apply:
            ``(1) Particular social group.--The Secretary of Homeland 
        Security or the Attorney General shall not determine that an 
        alien is a member of a particular social group unless the alien 
        articulates on the record, or provides a basis on the record 
        for determining, the definition and boundaries of the alleged 
        particular social group, establishes that the particular social 
        group exists independently from the alleged persecution, and 
        establishes that the alien's claim of membership in a 
        particular social group does not involve--
                    ``(A) past or present criminal activity or 
                association (including gang membership);
                    ``(B) presence in a country with generalized 
                violence or a high crime rate;
                    ``(C) being the subject of a recruitment effort by 
                criminal, terrorist, or persecutory groups;
                    ``(D) the targeting of the applicant for criminal 
                activity for financial gain based on perceptions of 
                wealth or affluence;
                    ``(E) interpersonal disputes of which governmental 
                authorities in the relevant society or region were 
                unaware or uninvolved;
                    ``(F) private criminal acts of which governmental 
                authorities in the relevant society or region were 
                unaware or uninvolved;
                    ``(G) past or present terrorist activity or 
                association;
                    ``(H) past or present persecutory activity or 
                association; or
                    ``(I) status as an alien returning from the United 
                States.
            ``(2) Political opinion.--The Secretary of Homeland 
        Security or the Attorney General may not determine that an 
        alien holds a political opinion with respect to which the alien 
        is subject to persecution if the political opinion is 
        constituted solely by generalized disapproval of, disagreement 
        with, or opposition to criminal, terrorist, gang, guerilla, or 
        other non-state organizations and does not include expressive 
        behavior in furtherance of a cause against such organizations 
        related to efforts by the State to control such organizations 
        or behavior that is antithetical to or otherwise opposes the 
        ruling legal entity of the State or a unit thereof.
            ``(3) Persecution.--The Secretary of Homeland Security or 
        the Attorney General may not determine that an alien has been 
        subject to persecution or has a well-founded fear of 
        persecution based only on--
                    ``(A) the existence of laws or government policies 
                that are unenforced or infrequently enforced, unless 
                there is credible evidence that such a law or policy 
                has been or would be applied to the applicant 
                personally; or
                    ``(B) the conduct of rogue foreign government 
                officials acting outside the scope of their official 
                capacity.
            ``(4) Discretionary determination.--
                    ``(A) Adverse discretionary factors.--The Secretary 
                of Homeland Security or the Attorney General may only 
                grant asylum to an alien if the alien establishes that 
                he or she warrants a favorable exercise of discretion. 
                In making such a determination, the Attorney General or 
                Secretary of Homeland Security shall consider, if 
                applicable, an alien's use of fraudulent documents to 
                enter the United States, unless the alien arrived in 
                the United States by air, sea, or land directly from 
                the applicant's home country without transiting through 
                any other country.
                    ``(B) Favorable exercise of discretion not 
                permitted.--Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the 
                Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security 
                shall not favorably exercise discretion under this 
                section for any alien who--
                            ``(i) has accrued more than one year of 
                        unlawful presence in the United States, as 
                        defined in sections 212(a)(9)(B)(ii) and (iii), 
                        prior to filing an application for asylum;
                            ``(ii) at the time the asylum application 
                        is filed with the immigration court or is 
                        referred from the Department of Homeland 
                        Security, has--
                                    ``(I) failed to timely file (or 
                                timely file a request for an extension 
                                of time to file) any required Federal, 
                                State, or local income tax returns;
                                    ``(II) failed to satisfy any 
                                outstanding Federal, State, or local 
                                tax obligations; or
                                    ``(III) income that would result in 
                                tax liability under section 1 of the 
                                Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and that 
                                was not reported to the Internal 
                                Revenue Service;
                            ``(iii) has had two or more prior asylum 
                        applications denied for any reason;
                            ``(iv) has withdrawn a prior asylum 
                        application with prejudice or been found to 
                        have abandoned a prior asylum application;
                            ``(v) failed to attend an interview 
                        regarding his or her asylum application with 
                        the Department of Homeland Security, unless the 
                        alien shows by a preponderance of the evidence 
                        that--
                                    ``(I) exceptional circumstances 
                                prevented the alien from attending the 
                                interview; or
                                    ``(II) the interview notice was not 
                                mailed to the last address provided by 
                                the alien or the alien's representative 
                                and neither the alien nor the alien's 
                                representative received notice of the 
                                interview; or
                            ``(vi) was subject to a final order of 
                        removal, deportation, or exclusion and did not 
                        file a motion to reopen to seek asylum based on 
                        changed country conditions within one year of 
                        the change in country conditions.
                    ``(C) Exceptions.--If one or more of the adverse 
                discretionary factors set forth in subparagraph (B) are 
                present, the Attorney General or the Secretary, may, 
                notwithstanding such subparagraph (B), favorably 
                exercise discretion under section 208--
                            ``(i) in extraordinary circumstances, such 
                        as those involving national security or foreign 
                        policy considerations; or
                            ``(ii) if the alien, by clear and 
                        convincing evidence, demonstrates that the 
                        denial of the application for asylum would 
                        result in exceptional and extremely unusual 
                        hardship to the alien.
            ``(5) Limitation.--If the Secretary or the Attorney General 
        determines that an alien fails to satisfy the requirement under 
        paragraph (1), the alien may not be granted asylum based on 
        membership in a particular social group, and may not appeal the 
        determination of the Secretary or Attorney General, as 
        applicable. A determination under this paragraph shall not 
        serve as the basis for any motion to reopen or reconsider an 
        application for asylum or withholding of removal for any 
        reason, including a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, 
        unless the alien complies with the procedural requirements for 
        such a motion and demonstrates that counsel's failure to 
        define, or provide a basis for defining, a formulation of a 
        particular social group was both not a strategic choice and 
        constituted egregious conduct.
            ``(6) Stereotypes.--Evidence offered in support of an 
        application for asylum that promotes cultural stereotypes about 
        a country, its inhabitants, or an alleged persecutor, including 
        stereotypes based on race, religion, nationality, or gender, 
        shall not be admissible in adjudicating that application, 
        except that evidence that an alleged persecutor holds 
        stereotypical views of the applicant shall be admissible.
            ``(7) Definitions.--In this section:
                    ``(A) The term `membership in a particular social 
                group' means membership in a group that is--
                            ``(i) composed of members who share a 
                        common immutable characteristic;
                            ``(ii) defined with particularity; and
                            ``(iii) socially distinct within the 
                        society in question.
                    ``(B) The term `political opinion' means an ideal 
                or conviction in support of the furtherance of a 
                discrete cause related to political control of a state 
                or a unit thereof.
                    ``(C) The term `persecution' means the infliction 
                of a severe level of harm constituting an exigent 
                threat by the government of a country or by persons or 
                an organization that the government was unable or 
                unwilling to control. Such term does not include--
                            ``(i) generalized harm or violence that 
                        arises out of civil, criminal, or military 
                        strife in a country;
                            ``(ii) all treatment that the United States 
                        regards as unfair, offensive, unjust, unlawful, 
                        or unconstitutional;
                            ``(iii) intermittent harassment, including 
                        brief detentions;
                            ``(iv) threats with no actual effort to 
                        carry out the threats, except that 
                        particularized threats of severe harm of an 
                        immediate and menacing nature made by an 
                        identified entity may constitute persecution; 
                        or
                            ``(v) non-severe economic harm or property 
                        damage.''.

SEC. 107. FIRM RESETTLEMENT.

    Section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158), 
as amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(g) Firm Resettlement.--In determining whether an alien was 
firmly resettled in another country prior to arriving in the United 
States under subsection (b)(2)(A)(xiv), the following shall apply:
            ``(1) In general.--An alien shall be considered to have 
        firmly resettled in another country if, after the events giving 
        rise to the alien's asylum claim--
                    ``(A) the alien resided in a country through which 
                the alien transited prior to arriving in or entering 
                the United States and--
                            ``(i) received or was eligible for any 
                        permanent legal immigration status in that 
                        country;
                            ``(ii) resided in such a country with any 
                        non-permanent but indefinitely renewable legal 
                        immigration status (including asylee, refugee, 
                        or similar status, but excluding status of a 
                        tourist); or
                            ``(iii) resided in such a country and could 
                        have applied for and obtained an immigration 
                        status described in clause (ii);
                    ``(B) the alien physically resided voluntarily, and 
                without continuing to suffer persecution or torture, in 
                any one country for one year or more after departing 
                his country of nationality or last habitual residence 
                and prior to arrival in or entry into the United 
                States, except for any time spent in Mexico by an alien 
                who is not a native or citizen of Mexico solely as a 
                direct result of being returned to Mexico pursuant to 
                section 235(b)(3) or of being subject to metering; or
                    ``(C) the alien is a citizen of a country other 
                than the country in which the alien alleges a fear of 
                persecution, or was a citizen of such a country in the 
                case of an alien who renounces such citizenship, and 
                the alien was present in that country after departing 
                his country of nationality or last habitual residence 
                and prior to arrival in or entry into the United 
                States.
            ``(2) Burden of proof.--If an immigration judge determines 
        that an alien has firmly resettled in another country under 
        paragraph (1), the alien shall bear the burden of proving the 
        bar does not apply.
            ``(3) Firm resettlement of parent.--An alien shall be 
        presumed to have been firmly resettled in another country if 
        the alien's parent was firmly resettled in another country, the 
        parent's resettlement occurred before the alien turned 18 years 
        of age, and the alien resided with such parent at the time of 
        the firm resettlement, unless the alien establishes that he or 
        she could not have derived any permanent legal immigration 
        status or any non-permanent but indefinitely renewable legal 
        immigration status (including asylum, refugee, or similar 
        status, but excluding status of a tourist) from the alien's 
        parent.''.

SEC. 108. NOTICE CONCERNING FRIVOLOUS ASYLUM APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 208(d)(4) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158(d)(4)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
        ``the Secretary of Homeland Security or'' before ``the Attorney 
        General'';
            (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and of the 
        consequences, under paragraph (6), of knowingly filing a 
        frivolous application for asylum; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (3) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) ensure that a written warning appears on the 
                asylum application advising the alien of the 
                consequences of filing a frivolous application and 
                serving as notice to the alien of the consequence of 
                filing a frivolous application.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 208(d)(6) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158(d)(6)) is amended by striking ``If the'' 
and all that follows and inserting:
                    ``(A) In general.--If the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security or the Attorney General determines that an 
                alien has knowingly made a frivolous application for 
                asylum and the alien has received the notice under 
                paragraph (4), the alien shall be permanently 
                ineligible for any benefits under this chapter, 
                effective as the date of the final determination of 
                such an application.
                    ``(B) Criteria.--An application is frivolous if the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General 
                determines that the application--
                            ``(i) is premised on any material elements 
                        that are knowingly fabricated; or
                            ``(ii) is so insufficient in substance that 
                        it is clear that the applicant knowingly filed 
                        the application solely or in part to delay 
                        removal from the United States, to seek 
                        employment authorization as an applicant for 
                        asylum pursuant to regulations issued pursuant 
                        to paragraph (2), or to seek issuance of a 
                        Notice to Appear to pursue Cancellation of 
                        Removal under section 240A(b).
                    ``(C) Sufficient opportunity to clarify.--In 
                determining that an application is frivolous, the 
                Secretary or the Attorney General must be satisfied 
                that the applicant, during the course of the 
                proceedings, has had sufficient opportunity to clarify 
                any discrepancies or implausible aspects of the claim.
                    ``(D) Withholding of removal not precluded.--A 
                finding under this section that an alien filed a 
                frivolous asylum application shall not preclude the 
                alien from seeking withholding of removal under section 
                241(b)(3) or protection pursuant to the Convention 
                Against Torture.''.

SEC. 109. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

    Section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(D), by inserting ``Secretary 
                of Homeland Security or the'' before ``Attorney 
                General''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``Secretary of 
                Homeland Security or the'' before ``Attorney General'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Attorney 
                General'' each place such term appears and inserting 
                ``Secretary of Homeland Security'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding 
                subparagraph (A), by inserting ``Secretary of Homeland 
                Security or the'' before ``Attorney General''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``Secretary of 
                Homeland Security or the'' before ``Attorney General''; 
                and
            (3) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``Secretary of 
                Homeland Security or the'' before ``Attorney General'' 
                each place such term appears; and
                    (B) in paragraph (5)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``Attorney General'' and inserting ``Secretary 
                        of Homeland Security''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
                        ``Secretary of Homeland Security or the'' 
                        before ``Attorney General''.

SEC. 110. REQUIREMENT FOR PROCEDURES RELATING TO CERTAIN ASYLUM 
              APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish procedures 
to expedite the adjudication of asylum applications for aliens--
            (1) who are subject to removal proceedings under section 
        240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229a); 
        and
            (2) who are nationals of a Western Hemisphere country 
        sanctioned by the United States, as described in subsection 
        (b), as of January 1, 2023.
    (b) Western Hemisphere Country Sanctioned by the United States 
Described.--Subsection (a) shall apply only to an asylum application 
filed by an alien who is a national of a Western Hemisphere country 
subject to sanctions pursuant to--
            (1) the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) 
        Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6021 note);
            (2) the Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for 
        Electoral Reform Act of 2021 or the RENACER Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 
        note); or
            (3) Executive Order 13692 (80 Fed. Reg. 12747; declaring a 
        national emergency with respect to the situation in Venezuela).
    (c) Applicability.--This section shall only apply to an alien who 
files an application for asylum after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

             TITLE II--BORDER SAFETY AND MIGRANT PROTECTION

SEC. 201. INSPECTION OF APPLICANTS FOR ADMISSION.

    Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) in clauses (i) and (ii), by 
                                striking ``section 212(a)(6)(C)'' 
                                inserting ``subparagraph (A) or (C) of 
                                section 212(a)(6)''; and
                                    (II) by adding at the end the 
                                following:
                            ``(iv) Ineligibility for parole.--An alien 
                        described in clause (i) or (ii) shall not be 
                        eligible for parole except as expressly 
                        authorized pursuant to section 212(d)(5), or 
                        for parole or release pursuant to section 
                        236(a).''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) in clause (ii), by striking 
                                ``asylum.'' and inserting ``asylum and 
                                shall not be released (including 
                                pursuant to parole or release pursuant 
                                to section 236(a) but excluding as 
                                expressly authorized pursuant to 
                                section 212(d)(5)) other than to be 
                                removed or returned to a country as 
                                described in paragraph (3).''; and
                                    (II) in clause (iii)(IV)--
                                            (aa) in the header by 
                                        striking ``detention'' and 
                                        inserting ``detention, return, 
                                        or removal''; and
                                            (bb) by adding at the end 
                                        the following: ``The alien 
                                        shall not be released 
                                        (including pursuant to parole 
                                        or release pursuant to section 
                                        236(a) but excluding as 
                                        expressly authorized pursuant 
                                        to section 212(d)(5)) other 
                                        than to be removed or returned 
                                        to a country as described in 
                                        paragraph (3).'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``Subject to 
                                subparagraphs (B) and (C),'' and 
                                inserting ``Subject to subparagraph (B) 
                                and paragraph (3),''; and
                                    (II) by adding at the end the 
                                following: ``The alien shall not be 
                                released (including pursuant to parole 
                                or release pursuant to section 236(a) 
                                but excluding as expressly authorized 
                                pursuant to section 212(d)(5)) other 
                                than to be removed or returned to a 
                                country as described in paragraph 
                                (3).''; and
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (C);
                    (C) by redesignating paragraph (3) and (4) as 
                paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively;
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) Return to foreign territory contiguous to the united 
        states.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland 
                Security may return to a foreign territory contiguous 
                to the United States any alien arriving on land from 
                that territory (whether or not at a designated port of 
                entry) pending a proceeding under section 240 or review 
                of a determination under subsection 
                (b)(1)(B)(iii)(III).
                    ``(B) Mandatory return.--If at any time the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security cannot--
                            ``(i) comply with its obligations to detain 
                        an alien as required under clauses (ii) and 
                        (iii)(IV) of subsection (b)(1)(B) and 
                        subsection (b)(2)(A); or
                            ``(ii) remove an alien to a country 
                        described in section 208(a)(2)(A),
                the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, without 
                exception, including pursuant to parole or release 
                pursuant to section 236(a) but excluding as expressly 
                authorized pursuant to section 212(d)(5), return to a 
                foreign territory contiguous to the United States any 
                alien arriving on land from that territory (whether or 
                not at a designated port of entry) pending a proceeding 
                under section 240 or review of a determination under 
                subsection (b)(1)(B)(iii)(III).''; and
                    (E) in paragraph (4), as redesignated, by striking 
                ``(1) or (2)'' and inserting ``(1), (2), or (3)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Authority To Prohibit Introduction of Certain Aliens.--If the 
Secretary of Homeland Security determines, in his discretion, that the 
prohibition of the introduction of aliens who are inadmissible under 
subparagraph (A) or (C) of section 212(a)(6) or under section 212(a)(7) 
at an international land or maritime border of the United States is 
necessary to achieve operational control (as defined in section 2 of 
the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (8 U.S.C. 1701 note)) of such border, the 
Secretary may prohibit, in whole or in part, the introduction of such 
aliens at such border for such period of time as the Secretary 
determines is necessary for such purpose.''.

                   TITLE III--PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

SEC. 301. REPATRIATION OF UNACCOMPANIED ALIEN CHILDREN.

    Section 235 of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims 
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1232) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by amending the heading to read as 
                        follows: ``Rules for unaccompanied alien 
                        children.--'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding clause 
                                (i), by striking ``who is a national or 
                                habitual resident of a country that is 
                                contiguous with the United States'';
                                    (II) in clause (i), by inserting 
                                ``and'' at the end;
                                    (III) in clause (ii), by striking 
                                ``; and'' and inserting a period; and
                                    (IV) by striking clause (iii);
                            (iii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding clause 
                                (i), by striking ``(8 U.S.C. 1101 et 
                                seq.) may--'' and inserting ``(8 U.S.C. 
                                1101 et seq.)--'';
                                    (II) in clause (i), by inserting 
                                before ``permit such child to 
                                withdraw'' the following: ``may''; and
                                    (III) in clause (ii), by inserting 
                                before ``return such child'' the 
                                following: ``shall''; and
                            (iv) in subparagraph (C)--
                                    (I) by amending the heading to read 
                                as follows: ``Agreements with foreign 
                                countries.--''; and
                                    (II) in the matter preceding clause 
                                (i), by striking ``The Secretary of 
                                State shall negotiate agreements 
                                between the United States and countries 
                                contiguous to the United States'' and 
                                inserting ``The Secretary of State may 
                                negotiate agreements between the United 
                                States and any foreign country that the 
                                Secretary determines appropriate''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (5)(D)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
                        striking ``, except for an unaccompanied alien 
                        child from a contiguous country subject to 
                        exceptions under subsection (a)(2),'' and 
                        inserting ``who does not meet the criteria 
                        listed in paragraph (2)(A)''; and
                            (ii) in clause (i), by inserting before the 
                        semicolon at the end the following: ``, which 
                        shall include a hearing before an immigration 
                        judge not later than 14 days after being 
                        screened under paragraph (4)'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
                        before the semicolon the following: ``believed 
                        not to meet the criteria listed in subsection 
                        (a)(2)(A)''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
                        before the period the following: ``and does not 
                        meet the criteria listed in subsection 
                        (a)(2)(A)''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``an 
                unaccompanied alien child in custody shall'' and all 
                that follows, and inserting the following: ``an 
                unaccompanied alien child in custody--
                    ``(A) in the case of a child who does not meet the 
                criteria listed in subsection (a)(2)(A), shall transfer 
                the custody of such child to the Secretary of Health 
                and Human Services not later than 30 days after 
                determining that such child is an unaccompanied alien 
                child who does not meet such criteria; or
                    ``(B) in the case of a child who meets the criteria 
                listed in subsection (a)(2)(A), may transfer the 
                custody of such child to the Secretary of Health and 
                Human Services after determining that such child is an 
                unaccompanied alien child who meets such criteria.''; 
                and
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by inserting at the end the following:
                    ``(D) Information about individuals with whom 
                children are placed.--
                            ``(i) Information to be provided to 
                        homeland security.--Before placing a child with 
                        an individual, the Secretary of Health and 
                        Human Services shall provide to the Secretary 
                        of Homeland Security, regarding the individual 
                        with whom the child will be placed and all 
                        adult residents of such individual's household, 
                        information on--
                                    ``(I) the name of the individual;
                                    ``(II) the social security number 
                                of the individual;
                                    ``(III) the date of birth of the 
                                individual;
                                    ``(IV) the location of the 
                                individual's residence where the child 
                                will be placed;
                                    ``(V) the immigration status of the 
                                individual, if known; and
                                    ``(VI) contact information for the 
                                individual.
                            ``(ii) Activities of the secretary of 
                        homeland security.--Not later than 30 days 
                        after receiving the information listed in 
                        clause (i), the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
                        upon determining that an individual with whom a 
                        child is placed is unlawfully present in the 
                        United States and not in removal proceedings 
                        pursuant to chapter 4 of title II of the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1221 
                        et seq.), shall initiate such removal 
                        proceedings.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (5)--
                            (i) by inserting after ``to the greatest 
                        extent practicable'' the following: ``(at no 
                        expense to the Government)''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``have counsel to 
                        represent them'' and inserting ``have access to 
                        counsel to represent them''.

SEC. 302. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS FOR IMMIGRANTS UNABLE TO 
              REUNITE WITH EITHER PARENT.

    Section 101(a)(27)(J) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(J)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``, and whose reunification 
        with 1 or both of the immigrant's parents is not viable due to 
        abuse, neglect, abandonment, or a similar basis found under 
        State law''; and
            (2) in clause (iii)--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subclause (II), by inserting ``and'' after 
                the semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                                    ``(III) an alien may not be granted 
                                special immigrant status under this 
                                subparagraph if the alien's 
                                reunification with any one parent or 
                                legal guardian is not precluded by 
                                abuse, neglect, abandonment, or any 
                                similar cause under State law;''.

SEC. 303. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this title shall be construed to limit the following 
procedures or practices relating to an unaccompanied alien child (as 
defined in section 462(g)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 279(g)(2))):
            (1) Screening of such a child for a credible fear of return 
        to his or her country of origin.
            (2) Screening of such a child to determine whether he or 
        she was a victim of trafficking.
            (3) Department of Health and Human Services policy in 
        effect on the date of the enactment of this Act requiring a 
        home study for such a child if he or she is under 12 years of 
        age.

            TITLE IV--ENSURING UNITED FAMILIES AT THE BORDER

SEC. 401. 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) Use of family residential centers.--The Secretary of 
        Homeland Security may detain family units of aliens at family 
        residential centers pending a decision on whether the aliens 
        are to be removed from the United States and, if such aliens 
        are ordered removed from the United States, until such aliens 
        are removed.
            ``(3) 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.
            ``(4) Family residential center defined.--In this section, 
        the term `family residential center' means a facility used by 
        the Secretary of Homeland Security to detain family units of 
        aliens (including alien children who are not unaccompanied 
        alien children) who are encountered or apprehended by the 
        Secretary.''.
    (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 such date.
    (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.

                   TITLE V--VISA OVERSTAYS PENALTIES

SEC. 501. EXPANDED PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL ENTRY OR PRESENCE.

    Section 275 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1325) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a) by inserting after ``for a subsequent 
        commission of any such offense'' the following: ``or if the 
        alien was previously convicted of an offense under subsection 
        (e)(2)(A)'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``at least $50 
                and not more than $250'' and inserting ``not less than 
                $500 and not more than $1,000''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting after ``in the 
                case of an alien who has been previously subject to a 
                civil penalty under this subsection'' the following: 
                ``or subsection (e)(2)(B)''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Visa Overstays.--
            ``(1) In general.--An alien who was admitted as a 
        nonimmigrant has violated this paragraph if the alien, for an 
        aggregate of 10 days or more, has failed--
                    ``(A) to maintain the nonimmigrant status in which 
                the alien was admitted, or to which it was changed 
                under section 248, including complying with the period 
                of stay authorized by the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security in connection with such status; or
                    ``(B) to comply otherwise with the conditions of 
                such nonimmigrant status.
            ``(2) Penalties.--An alien who has violated paragraph (1)--
                    ``(A) shall--
                            ``(i) for the first commission of such a 
                        violation, be fined under title 18, United 
                        States Code, or imprisoned not more than 6 
                        months, or both; and
                            ``(ii) for a subsequent commission of such 
                        a violation, or if the alien was previously 
                        convicted of an offense under subsection (a), 
                        be fined under such title 18, or imprisoned not 
                        more than 2 years, or both; and
                    ``(B) in addition to, and not in lieu of, any 
                penalty under subparagraph (A) and any other criminal 
                or civil penalties that may be imposed, shall be 
                subject to a civil penalty of--
                            ``(i) not less than $500 and not more than 
                        $1,000 for each violation; or
                            ``(ii) twice the amount specified in clause 
                        (i), in the case of an alien who has been 
                        previously subject to a civil penalty under 
                        this subparagraph or subsection (b).''.

                  TITLE VI--IMMIGRATION PAROLE REFORM

SEC. 601. IMMIGRATION PAROLE REFORM.

    Section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(d)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(5)(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C) and 
section 214(f), the Secretary of Homeland Security, in the discretion 
of the Secretary, may temporarily parole into the United States any 
alien applying for admission to the United States who is not present in 
the United States, under such conditions as the Secretary may 
prescribe, on a case-by-case basis, and not according to eligibility 
criteria describing an entire class of potential parole recipients, for 
urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Parole 
granted under this subparagraph may not be regarded as an admission of 
the alien. When the purposes of such parole have been served in the 
opinion of the Secretary, the alien shall immediately return or be 
returned to the custody from which the alien was paroled. After such 
return, the case of the alien shall be dealt with in the same manner as 
the case of any other applicant for admission to the United States.
    ``(B) The Secretary of Homeland Security may grant parole to any 
alien who--
            ``(i) is present in the United States without lawful 
        immigration status;
            ``(ii) is the beneficiary of an approved petition under 
        section 203(a);
            ``(iii) is not otherwise inadmissible or removable; and
            ``(iv) is the spouse or child of a member of the Armed 
        Forces serving on active duty.
    ``(C) The Secretary of Homeland Security may grant parole to any 
alien--
            ``(i) who is a national of the Republic of Cuba and is 
        living in the Republic of Cuba;
            ``(ii) who is the beneficiary of an approved petition under 
        section 203(a);
            ``(iii) for whom an immigrant visa is not immediately 
        available;
            ``(iv) who meets all eligibility requirements for an 
        immigrant visa;
            ``(v) who is not otherwise inadmissible; and
            ``(vi) who is receiving a grant of parole in furtherance of 
        the commitment of the United States to the minimum level of 
        annual legal migration of Cuban nationals to the United States 
        specified in the U.S.-Cuba Joint Communique on Migration, done 
        at New York September 9, 1994, and reaffirmed in the Cuba-
        United States: Joint Statement on Normalization of Migration, 
        Building on the Agreement of September 9, 1994, done at New 
        York May 2, 1995.
    ``(D) The Secretary of Homeland Security may grant parole to an 
alien who is returned to a contiguous country under section 235(b)(3) 
to allow the alien to attend the alien's immigration hearing. The grant 
of parole shall not exceed the time required for the alien to be 
escorted to, and attend, the alien's immigration hearing scheduled on 
the same calendar day as the grant, and to immediately thereafter be 
escorted back to the contiguous country. A grant of parole under this 
subparagraph shall not be considered for purposes of determining 
whether the alien is inadmissible under this Act.
    ``(E) For purposes of determining an alien's eligibility for parole 
under subparagraph (A), an urgent humanitarian reason shall be limited 
to circumstances in which the alien establishes that--
            ``(i)(I) the alien has a medical emergency; and
            ``(II)(aa) the alien cannot obtain necessary treatment in 
        the foreign state in which the alien is residing; or
            ``(bb) the medical emergency is life-threatening and there 
        is insufficient time for the alien to be admitted to the United 
        States through the normal visa process;
            ``(ii) the alien is the parent or legal guardian of an 
        alien described in clause (i) and the alien described in clause 
        (i) is a minor;
            ``(iii) the alien is needed in the United States in order 
        to donate an organ or other tissue for transplant and there is 
        insufficient time for the alien to be admitted to the United 
        States through the normal visa process;
            ``(iv) 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 to the United States through the 
        normal visa process;
            ``(v) the alien is seeking to attend the funeral of a close 
        family member and the alien could not arrive in the United 
        States in time to attend such funeral if the alien were to be 
        admitted to the United States through the normal visa process;
            ``(vi) the alien is an adopted child with an urgent medical 
        condition who is in the legal custody of the petitioner for a 
        final adoption-related visa and whose medical treatment is 
        required before the expected award of a final adoption-related 
        visa; or
            ``(vii) the alien is a lawful applicant for adjustment of 
        status under section 245 and is returning to the United States 
        after temporary travel abroad.
    ``(F) For purposes of determining an alien's eligibility for parole 
under subparagraph (A), a significant public benefit may be determined 
to result from the parole of an alien only if--
            ``(i) the alien has assisted (or will assist, whether 
        knowingly or not) the United States Government in a law 
        enforcement matter;
            ``(ii) the alien's presence is required by the Government 
        in furtherance of such law enforcement matter; and
            ``(iii) the alien is inadmissible, does not satisfy the 
        eligibility requirements for admission as a nonimmigrant, or 
        there is insufficient time for the alien to be admitted to the 
        United States through the normal visa process.
    ``(G) For purposes of determining an alien's eligibility for parole 
under subparagraph (A), the term `case-by-case basis' means that the 
facts in each individual case are considered and parole is not granted 
based on membership in a defined class of aliens to be granted parole. 
The fact that aliens are considered for or granted parole one-by-one 
and not as a group is not sufficient to establish that the parole 
decision is made on a `case-by-case basis'.
    ``(H) The Secretary of Homeland Security may not use the parole 
authority under this paragraph to parole an alien into the United 
States for any reason or purpose other than those described in 
subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), (E), and (F).
    ``(I) An alien granted parole may not accept employment, except 
that an alien granted parole pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (C) is 
authorized to accept employment for the duration of the parole, as 
evidenced by an employment authorization document issued by the 
Secretary of Homeland Security.
    ``(J) Parole granted after a departure from the United States shall 
not be regarded as an admission of the alien. An alien granted parole, 
whether as an initial grant of parole or parole upon reentry into the 
United States, is not eligible to adjust status to lawful permanent 
residence or for any other immigration benefit if the immigration 
status the alien had at the time of departure did not authorize the 
alien to adjust status or to be eligible for such benefit.
    ``(K)(i) Except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii), parole shall 
be granted to an alien under this paragraph for the shorter of--
            ``(I) a period of sufficient length to accomplish the 
        activity described in subparagraph (D), (E), or (F) for which 
        the alien was granted parole; or
            ``(II) 1 year.
    ``(ii) Grants of parole pursuant to subparagraph (A) may be 
extended once, in the discretion of the Secretary, for an additional 
period that is the shorter of--
            ``(I) the period that is necessary to accomplish the 
        activity described in subparagraph (E) or (F) for which the 
        alien was granted parole; or
            ``(II) 1 year.
    ``(iii) Aliens who have a pending application to adjust status to 
permanent residence under section 245 may request extensions of parole 
under this paragraph, in 1-year increments, until the application for 
adjustment has been adjudicated. Such parole shall terminate 
immediately upon the denial of such adjustment application.
    ``(L) Not later than 90 days after the last day of each fiscal 
year, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee 
on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
the House of Representatives and make available to the public, a 
report--
            ``(i) identifying the total number of aliens paroled into 
        the United States under this paragraph during the previous 
        fiscal year; and
            ``(ii) containing information and data regarding all aliens 
        paroled during such fiscal year, including--
                    ``(I) the duration of parole;
                    ``(II) the type of parole; and
                    ``(III) the current status of the aliens so 
                paroled.''.

SEC. 602. IMPLEMENTATION.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this title 
and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on the date 
that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this title.
    (b) Exceptions.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), each of the 
following exceptions apply:
            (1) Any application for parole or advance parole filed by 
        an alien before the date of the enactment of this title shall 
        be adjudicated under the law that was in effect on the date on 
        which the application was properly filed and any approved 
        advance parole shall remain valid under the law that was in 
        effect on the date on which the advance parole was approved.
            (2) Section 212(d)(5)(J) of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act, as added by this Act, shall take effect on the date of the 
        enactment of this title.
            (3) Aliens who were paroled into the United States pursuant 
        to section 212(d)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
        (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)(A)) before January 1, 2023, shall continue 
        to be subject to the terms of parole that were in effect on the 
        date on which their respective parole was approved.
                                 <all>