High above the dark fortress of Stormguard, in the Scribe's tower, three young interns labored with the scratching of quills to bring forth this press release:
Continuing her efforts to address the growing humanitarian crisis at the southern border, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced today she is backing legislation that would allow for the swift and safe return of unaccompanied minors to their families in their home countries. The Children Returning on an Expedited and Safe Timeline (CREST) Act, introduced by U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), would change current law to allow for the expedited return of unaccompanied minors to their home countries, increase the number of immigration judges to more quickly dispose of cases, establish requirements to ensure individuals appear in court, and set conditions on foreign aid to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
"Any proposal to address the border crisis must include changes to current law to allow unaccompanied minors to be returned to their families in their home countries as quickly and safely as possible," said Senator Ayotte. "This common sense legislation would allow for the expedited return of unaccompanied minors no matter where they are from, expand the capacity of immigration courts to reduce case backlogs, and establish other measures to help stop this migration."
KEY PROVISIONS OF THE CREST ACT:
Expedite Repatriation of Unaccompanied Minors - amends the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act to equalize treatment of unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. from non-contiguous countries to allow for voluntary return, and requires expedited removal of all unaccompanied minors that are stopped at the border attempting to enter the U.S. illegally.
Expand Court Capacity and Establish Juvenile Dockets - authorizes the hiring of additional immigration judges, attorneys, and asylum officers to reduce immigration case backlogs, and prioritizes resolution of unaccompanied minor cases.
Mandatory Detention and Ensuring Court Appearances - requires unaccompanied minors to remain in the custody of Customs and Border Protection or Health and Human Services until they are repatriated or their immigration cases have been resolved. Exceptions to non-federal custody are made for unaccompanied minors who are found to be a victim of trafficking, have special needs, or severe physical or mental health needs, in which case, they may be released to a biological parent who is legally in the U.S., has submitted to a biometric criminal history check, is willing to face fines for their failure to appear in immigration court, and has submitted to a safety and suitability study.
Restrict Foreign Aid - requires the president to certify that Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador are doing everything they can to prevent the illegal migration of unaccompanied minors and assist in the repatriation of their citizens, or risk losing foreign aid assistance from the U.S.
Allow for In-Country Refugee Applications - requires the administration to allow for 5,000 refugee admissions each from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and requires in-country processing of refugee applications in these countries to encourage people to apply for status in their home country.
Increase Penalties for Smuggling - increases penalties for those engaging in human smuggling, including smuggling of unaccompanied minors.