# Plain Language Summary: Secure the Border Act of 2023

This bill is a comprehensive package of immigration and border security measures that would significantly change how the U.S. handles border control and asylum seekers. The legislation has two main parts: one focused on physical border security and enforcement, and another dealing with immigration rules and asylum policy.

On the border security side, the bill requires the government to immediately restart construction of a physical wall along the U.S.-Mexico border using previously appropriated funds. It sets a goal of building 200 miles of wall annually and requires detailed plans showing how and when this will happen. Beyond the wall itself, the bill calls for increased technology like surveillance systems and ground detection equipment, more Border Patrol agents and personnel, additional funding for border security operations, and expanded use of drones and aircraft to monitor the border. It also includes provisions for DNA and biometric data collection at the border and requires regular reports on border security operations.

The immigration enforcement section makes it much harder for people to claim asylum at the U.S. border. The bill establishes that asylum seekers must first apply in a country they pass through on their way to the U.S. (called a "safe third country"), and it tightens the standards for what qualifies as a legitimate asylum claim. It restricts work permits for asylum applicants, adds fees to asylum applications, and speeds up deportation processes for people deemed to have made frivolous claims. The bill also limits a program that allows certain migrants to schedule appointments at the border through a mobile app. Additionally, it increases penalties for overstaying visas and strengthens employment verification requirements so employers must confirm workers are legally authorized to work, with stricter penalties for companies that hire undocumented workers.

The bill also addresses family detention, unaccompanied children, and requires the State Department to negotiate with other Western Hemisphere countries to manage migration flows. It includes various other provisions like prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for Department of Homeland Security employees and requiring reports on designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Overall, this legislation represents a major shift toward stricter border enforcement and more restrictive asylum policies, affecting both people trying to enter the country and employers who hire workers.

Secure the Border Act of 2023

Diaz-Balart, Mario

Secure the Border Act of 2023 This bill addresses issues regarding immigration and border security, including by imposing limits to asylum eligibility. For example, the bill <ul> <li>requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; </li> <li>provides statutory authorization for Operation Stonegarden, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies for certain border security operations;</li> <li>prohibits DHS from processing the entry of non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) arriving between ports of entry;</li> <li>limits asylum eligibility to non-U.S. nationals who arrive in the United States at a port of entry;</li> <li>authorizes the removal of a non-U.S. national to a country other than that individual's country of nationality or last lawful habitual residence, whereas currently this type of removal may only be to a country that has an agreement with the United States for such removal;</li> <li>expands the types of crimes that may make an individual ineligible for asylum, such as a conviction for driving while intoxicated causing another person's serious bodily injury or death; </li> <li>authorizes DHS to suspend the introduction of certain non-U.S. nationals at an international border if DHS determines that the suspension is necessary to achieve operational control of that border;</li> <li>prohibits states from imposing licensing requirements on immigration detention facilities used to detain minors;</li> <li>authorizes immigration officers to permit an unaccompanied alien child to withdraw their application for admission into the United States even if the child is unable to make an independent decision to withdraw the application;</li> <li>imposes additional penalties for overstaying a visa; and</li> <li>requires DHS to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system and requires all employers to use the system.</li> </ul>