Fentanyl Entry Suspension Act

Summary#

This bill would suspend the admittance of certain people trying to enter the United States from Canada or Mexico. It defines a "covered alien" as a person who is attempting to unlawfully enter from Canada or Mexico, does not have required travel documents, and is being held at a point of entry or Border Patrol station. The suspension begins on the date the bill is enacted. Covered aliens are to be returned as rapidly as possible to their country of origin or the country from which they entered. The Secretary of Homeland Security may transport those people on scheduled repatriation flights on a space-available basis. The bill includes findings saying fentanyl caused many overdose deaths in recent years and that smuggling fentanyl is a public health crisis.

What it means for you#

• If you are a person who meets the bill's definition of a "covered alien," you would be barred from being admitted and would be returned to your origin country or the country you came from as quickly as possible.
• If you have required travel documents and are not attempting unlawful entry, you are not a "covered alien" under this bill and the bill text does not say it affects your admission.
• The Department of Homeland Security is named as the agency (the Secretary) responsible for carrying out the returns and arranging repatriation flights.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on estimated costs, savings, or budgetary effects is included in the bill text or metadata provided.

Proponents' View#

The bill's findings state that fentanyl has caused a large number of overdose deaths and that smuggling fentanyl is a major public health crisis. Based on those findings, the bill frames suspending admission of certain unlawful entrants and returning them quickly as a measure to protect public health and lower the risk of fentanyl being introduced or distributed in the United States.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.