# Plain Language Summary: Border Reinforcement Act of 2023

This bill is designed to significantly expand and accelerate border security efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border. At its core, the legislation orders the Department of Homeland Security to immediately restart construction of a physical border wall and to build at least 900 miles of barriers, fencing, and related infrastructure. The bill requires this work to begin within seven days of passage and mandates that the government use all previously appropriated funds that were set aside for wall construction before January 2021. Essentially, it's telling the government to finish projects that were started but paused, and to expand them substantially.

Beyond just building walls, the bill invests heavily in technology and personnel to monitor and control the border. This includes surveillance systems, detection equipment, drones, and additional Border Patrol agents and support staff. The legislation also authorizes funding for things like access roads, lighting, checkpoints, and boat ramps that support border operations. It aims to give border agents better tools and more manpower to detect and stop people from crossing illegally. The bill also includes provisions to collect DNA and biometric information from people at the border and to streamline the process of removing obstacles that might slow down construction or security operations.

The bill affects several groups of people differently. Taxpayers will fund these expanded border security efforts through government spending. People living near the southern border, particularly in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California, may see increased construction activity and changes to their landscape. The bill gives the government broad power to use eminent domain—meaning it can take private land for border wall construction, though it promises to compensate owners. Border communities and Native American tribes may experience disruptions to their land and resources, though the bill requires some consultation before construction begins. For immigration advocates, the bill represents a major expansion of enforcement capabilities. For those seeking to immigrate or cross the border, it creates more barriers and detection systems to prevent unauthorized entry.

Border Reinforcement Act of 2023

Green, Mark E.

Border Reinforcement Act of 2023 This bill requires certain actions related to border security and addresses related issues. For example, the bill <ul> <li>requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume all activities related to constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that were underway or planned prior to January 20, 2021;</li> <li>requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to submit a strategic five-year technology investment plan to Congress;</li> <li> requires CBP to maintain an active duty presence of at least 22,000 full-time equivalent Border Patrol agents by September 30, 2025;</li> <li>provides statutory authorization for Operation Stonegarden, a program which provides grants to law enforcement agencies involved with certain CBP operations;</li> <li>prohibits DHS from processing the entry of non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) arriving in between ports of entry;</li> <li>prohibits the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from accepting as proof of identification certain documents, such as a warrant issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or an employment authorization issued by DHS;</li> <li>prohibits DHS from issuing any COVID-19 vaccine mandate unless expressly authorized by Congress or taking any adverse action against an employee based solely on the employee's refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine;</li> <li> limits the use of the CBP One mobile application or a similar program to only for inspecting perishable cargo; and</li> <li>requires the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the costs incurred by states in support of the federal mission to secure the southwest border and the feasibility of reimbursing states for such costs.</li> </ul>