[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 692 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 692

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding actions 
 the President should take to secure the borders of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2014

 Mr. Fleming submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
  the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Armed Services, 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 actions 
 the President should take to secure the borders of the United States.

Whereas on June 17, 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John 
        Morton issued a memo directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
        personnel to cease enforcing immigration laws except in certain narrowly 
        proscribed circumstances, so that the vast majority of illegal aliens 
        would not be subject to deportation;
Whereas on June 15, 2012, the President announced that the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security would no longer be enforcing immigration laws against certain 
        people who came to this country as children, through the Deferred Action 
        for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) directive;
Whereas, according to Customs and Border Patrol statistics, between fiscal years 
        2009 and 2011, the number of minors from Central America being 
        apprehended at the southwest border for illegal crossing was between 
        3,300-4,500 per year;
Whereas in fiscal year 2012, the number of minors from Central America began 
        increasing, from over 10,000 in 2012, to over 20,000 in 2013, to 44,000 
        through June 30 of 2014;
Whereas President Obama has stated that he is constrained by section 235 of 
        Public Law 110-457, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims 
        Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008;
Whereas Senator Dianne Feinstein of California was quoted in the New York Times 
        on July 7, 2014, ``That law already provides the administration with 
        flexibility to accelerate the judicial process in times of crisis. The 
        administration should use that flexibility to speed up the system while 
        still treating these children humanely, with compassion and respect.'';
Whereas Senator Harry Reid of Nevada was quoted in the Washington Times on July 
        15, 2014, that ``There's leeway there that the executive branch of 
        government doesn't need new legislation.'';
Whereas the President has the authority to deploy the National Guard to secure 
        the border from illegal crossers under title 32, section 502(f);
Whereas the influx of minors illegally crossing at the southwest border was 
        created by policies and statements of the President of the United States 
        and his Administration, which led families to hire criminal smuggling 
        organizations to bring their children to enter the United States without 
        authorization or visa, knowing they would be allowed to remain and seek 
        legal status; and
Whereas the President already possesses the tools to address this influx: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the President should take the following actions:
            (1) Declare an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood 
        Arrivals program implemented pursuant to the memorandum by the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security issued on June 15, 2012.
            (2) Use the ``exceptional circumstances'' exception in 
        section 235(b)(3) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking 
        Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 
        1232(b)(3)) to keep apprehended illegal immigrants in the 
        custody of the Department of Homeland Security in the border 
        region; and create an accelerated process to the maximum extent 
        provided by law for their return to their home countries.
            (3) Deploy the National Guard to help secure the border.
                                 <all>