[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 687 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 687

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
        President's responsibility to address the border crisis.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2014

 Mr. Franks of Arizona (for himself and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the 
   following resolution; 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
        President's responsibility to address the border crisis.

Whereas the United States has a great tradition of welcoming immigrants of all 
        ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds under the rule of law;
Whereas under the Constitution of the United States, it is the Congress that has 
        plenary constitutional authority to establish United States immigration 
        policy;
Whereas the Obama Administration has sought unilaterally to rewrite immigration 
        laws passed by the Congress by taking administrative action via policy 
        memoranda;
Whereas the Obama Administration has sent a broad signal to unlawful immigrants 
        that, once they enter the United States, they can remain here in 
        violation of the law without consequence;
Whereas, on June 15, 2012, the Obama Administration announced via executive fiat 
        the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, in which 
        certain people who came to the United States as children may request 
        consideration of deferred action on removal and would then be eligible 
        for work authorization;
Whereas the Obama Administration has abused prosecutorial discretion in order to 
        shield entire categories of unlawful immigrants from the rule of law;
Whereas in fiscal year 2013, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
        arbitrarily released over 36,000 criminal aliens from detention, in most 
        cases, an act not compelled by a court or immigration judge;
Whereas these 36,000 criminal aliens had nearly 88,000 convictions, including 
        193 homicide convictions, 303 kidnapping convictions, 426 sexual assault 
        convictions, 8,187 dangerous drug convictions, and 16,070 drunk or 
        drugged driving convictions;
Whereas under the Obama Administration, approval rates by United States Citizen 
        and Immigration Services officers in affirmative asylum cases have 
        increased from 28 percent in 2007 to 46 percent in 2013 and approval 
        rates by immigration judges in affirmative asylum cases have increased 
        from 51 percent in 2007 to 74 percent in 2013;
Whereas under the Obama Administration, ``credible fear'' claims have increased 
        586 percent from 2007 to 2013, as the Obama Administration rubber-stamps 
        applications;
Whereas in fiscal year 2013, 92 percent of ``credible fear'' claims were 
        approved on the merits;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security expects to apprehend more than 
        90,000 unaccompanied minors on the border this year, representing a 
        1,381 percent increase since 2011;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security expects to apprehend more than 
        140,000 unaccompanied minors in 2015, representing a 2,232 percent 
        increase since 2011;
Whereas the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), a highly respected intelligence 
        analysis center in support of field enforcement entities throughout the 
        Southwest border region, was established in 1974 and contains 
        representatives from 24 agencies;
Whereas the EPIC intelligence report from July 7, 2014, assessed homicide trends 
        in Central American countries and migrant interviews, suggesting 
        violence is likely not the principal factor driving the increase in 
        unlawful migration into the United States;
Whereas the EPIC intelligence report from July 7, 2014, reveals that, in late 
        May of 2014, the Border Patrol interviewed unaccompanied minors and 
        migrant families apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley, and of the 230 
        total unlawful immigrants interviewed, 95 percent (219 individuals) 
        cited the primary reason for migrating to the United States was the 
        perception of United States immigration laws granting free passes or 
        permisos allowing them to stay;
Whereas the EPIC intelligence report from July 7, 2014, reveals several United 
        States media outlets have identified Central American newspapers that 
        have enticed children to travel to the United States, including Honduran 
        and El Salvadoran press which have reportedly advertised the DACA 
        policy, accommodations for detained unlawful immigrants, and the promise 
        of reunification with family members in the United States;
Whereas the House of Representatives is deeply concerned about the migrants, 
        especially innocent children, who have been impacted by the President's 
        policies and, as a result, enticed to undertake such a dangerous and 
        treacherous journey;
Whereas the continuation of the President's policies threatens a widening 
        crisis, with an increasing number of migrants displaced and endangered 
        thousands of miles from their support system and at an increased risk of 
        many threats, including involvement in human trafficking; and
Whereas the President currently has the necessary tools at his disposal to solve 
        the humanitarian crisis at the border with existing funding from 
        Congress: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) agrees with the President that there is an ``actual 
        humanitarian crisis on the border that only underscores the 
        need to drop the politics and fix our immigration system once 
        and for all'';
            (2) calls upon the President to use the resources already 
        at his disposal to gain certifiable operational control of the 
        border;
            (3) calls upon the President to send a clear message that 
        those who are seeking to enter the United States illegally will 
        be returned to their home countries;
            (4) calls upon the President to send a clear message that 
        subjecting children to the perilous migration northward to our 
        border will no longer be tolerated;
            (5) calls upon the President to cease using his 
        prosecutorial discretion authority to shield unlawful 
        immigrants from prosecution;
            (6) calls upon the President to cease releasing convicted 
        criminal aliens from detention;
            (7) calls upon the President to crack down on fraudulent 
        asylum claims;
            (8) calls upon the President to implement tougher standards 
        for ``credible fear'' claims;
            (9) calls upon the President to restore agreements with 
        local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws;
            (10) calls upon the President to give Border Patrol agents 
        access to Federal lands where drug traffickers, human 
        smugglers, and unlawful immigrants hide;
            (11) calls upon the President to employ diplomatic 
        resources with Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador to 
        stop the border crisis; and
            (12) stands ready to work with the President to make 
        certain the preceding calls to action are realized as 
        expeditiously as possible.
                                 <all>