The bill would expand border barriers and surveillance, set staffing and flight-hour requirements for border agencies, and create grants for law enforcement agencies near borders. It would change asylum eligibility and processing, expand detention and return rules, and revise how unaccompanied children are handled. It would also limit immigration parole, add penalties for visa overstays, and require employers to use a federal employment eligibility verification system.
If enacted, the bill could change how people seeking asylum or other immigration benefits are treated. Employers would have to verify workers’ identity and work eligibility under new requirements. Border-area law enforcement agencies could apply for grants, and some travelers could face new identification and biometric checks at airport security checkpoints.
The bill authorizes up to $100 million for Border Patrol retention bonuses, $33 million for border security technology, and $125 million for license plate reader upgrades. It also authorizes $110 million per year for Operation Stonegarden grants and $7 million per year for plant removal for fiscal years 2024 through 2028, plus $216 million for intelligence, analysis, and situational awareness. The bill does not provide a total estimate of its costs. No publicly available information.
The bill states that its purpose is to secure the borders and improve immigration enforcement. It calls for more barriers, technology, personnel, and regional cooperation, along with changes to asylum and employment verification rules.
No publicly available information.