In anticipation of President Trump’s official visit to the Border Patrol Station in Yuma, Arizona, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) applauded the president’s decision to visit the station while highlight the work his committee has done towards immigration issues.
“The President’s strong action has caused illegal immigration to drop significantly at the U.S.-Mexico border,” Goodlatte said. “In addition to this progress, we also need to improve our nation’s immigration laws and provide more tools to further reduce illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and human smuggling.”
Since the 114th Congress, Goodlatte’s committee has approved four bills that aim to correct issues seen within the nation’s immigration system while addressing vulnerabilities at the border.
One bill highlighted by Goodlatte, the Davis-Oliver Act, was named for two slain police officers and effectively removes the Executive Branch’s ability to unilaterally pause or prohibit immigration enforcement efforts by granting states and localities the ability to enact and enforce their own immigration laws so long as they are consistent with federal law.
The Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act, also touted by Goodlatte, aims to reform the nation’s refugee program by providing state and local governments the power to decide if refugees are to be resettled within their communities.
The Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act seeks to curb “fraud and abuse” in the nation’s asylum laws by ensuring the designation is reserved only for those truly fleeing persecution in their home countries.
The Protection of Children Act, passed by the committee in January, aims to ensure that unaccompanied undocumented immigrant minors who make the trip to the United States are safely returned home. However, for individuals who stay with a sponsor while in the United States ahead of their immigration hearing, the act allows for greater transparency and safety for those minors so they are not inadvertently delivered to criminals or abusers.
While each of the bills were passed by Goodlatte’s committee, and some were passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, none of the bills have officially been signed into law as of yet.
“The House must pass all these bills to provide the Trump Administration the tools needed to secure the border and enforce our immigration laws, and to ensure that future administrations do not ignore immigration enforcement laws,” Goodlatte said.