[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2347 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2347

     To expand in-country processing of family units and minors in 
Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to provide relief to the southern 
  border and uphold access to humanitarian protection consistent with 
                               U.S. laws.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2019

    Mr. Vela (for himself, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, and Mr. Cuellar) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To expand in-country processing of family units and minors in 
Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to provide relief to the southern 
  border and uphold access to humanitarian protection consistent with 
                               U.S. laws.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Border and Refugee Assistance Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE STRATEGY.

    It is the sense of Congress that a multifaceted U.S. response is 
needed to address the humanitarian crisis in the Northern Triangle. 
Such a response must include U.S. investment in the Northern Triangle 
aimed at improving governance, enhancing security, and promoting 
prosperity in the region as well as investments in the U.S. Department 
of State's Refugee Processing Center, USCIS Asylum Division, and U.S. 
Immigration Courts to uphold access to humanitarian protection 
consistent with U.S. law and international standards. In-country 
processing of refugee claims is only one component of a comprehensive 
strategy, aimed at providing increased economic and security conditions 
in the Northern Triangle.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF IN-COUNTRY PROCESSING.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
     (a) The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State 
shall work together to expand in-country refugee processing centers 
within Northern Triangle countries to accept applications from family 
units and minors in order to provide a safe and orderly process for 
processing claims and ensuring humanitarian protection.
    (b) Victims of domestic violence and gangs are eligible to qualify 
for refugee protections.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to implement section 3.
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