Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee appear. law This would close a loophole that puts some migrant children at risk of human trafficking at the border.
Current Department of Homeland Security regulations prohibit Customs and Border Protection agents from collecting biometric data from children under the age of 14.
“We are witnessing a devastating humanitarian crisis, with children being the main victims.”
“Currently, regulations exempt certain foreign nationals from biometric collection, including those under the age of 14 and those over the age of 79, as well as individuals in certain visa classes, so CBP will “We do not use fingerprints to verify the identity of individuals,” DHS said. said.
The regulation came under fire after it was revealed that the Biden administration's Department of Health and Human Services was unable to track 85,000 unaccompanied migrant children. HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement is tasked with placing unaccompanied minors into the United States with sponsorship.
But a February 2023 New York Times report based on testimony from HHS whistleblower Tara Rodas revealed that the federal government “immediately lost contact” with tens of thousands of children. Ta. The scandal raised concerns that children were being placed in the care of potential child traffickers and criminals.
Some argue that the lack of biometric data collected makes finding and identifying lost children even more difficult.
Grassley and Blackburn on Tuesday. introduced Preventing the recycling of immigrants is necessary for the Stop Trafficking in Persons Act. print.
If passed, the bill would allow CBP to fingerprint foreign nationals under the age of 14. The U.S. Attorney General will no longer be able to waive these requirements.
The bill would also require DHS to disclose the number of child traffickers it has arrested for falsely implicating accompanied children, also known as “recycling,” and maintain annual records detailing the number of fingerprints imprinted on Congress. Requires the submission of additional reports, such as those provided to children.
Additionally, the proposed bill would criminalize “child recycling.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported in 2019 that it had identified 900 child victims of the scheme.
Additional co-sponsors of the bill include Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, and Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota. , Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana, and Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. .
“Over the past four years, child exploitation at our nation's southern border has exploded. This humanitarian crisis is a direct result of the Biden administration's open border policies,” Grassley said.
“The PRINT Act will give law enforcement the power to identify victims of child trafficking and eliminate this horrific abuse. Congress must act quickly to protect vulnerable children. “We must undo the damage caused by the Biden administration,” he said.
“Under President Biden's open borders policy, we are witnessing a devastating humanitarian crisis, with children being the primary victims,” Blackburn said. “The repeated abuse and exploitation of children, one of the most heinous acts imaginable, happens every day along the southern border, requiring Border Patrol agents to fingerprint noncitizens under the age of 14. “If we allow them, they will have the tools they need to identify themselves.”This bill comes at a time when the Biden administration inadvertently lost track of 85,000 migrant children. There is nothing more important than passing this. ”
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