House Republicans move to make Trump's border policies permanent
House Republicans have advanced the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, a bill designed to codify former President Trump's executive border policies into law. The legislation aims to increase detention, tighten asylum eligibility, and expand border surveillance technology.
Why it matters
The bill represents a significant legislative effort to institutionalize hardline immigration policies, potentially limiting the ability of future administrations to alter border enforcement strategies.
A sweeping border security bill aimed at permanently codifying several of President Donald Trump's executive actions is headed to the House floor after clearing a key committee on Tuesday. The House Judiciary Committee advanced the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act along party lines during an hours-long markup Tuesday over the fierce objections of Democratic lawmakers. The legislation, authored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, would criminalize visa overstays and increase penalties for unlawful entry, would effectively end "catch and release" policies by requiring most illegal migrants to be detained or returned while their cases are pending and tighten asylum eligibility and humanitarian parole, among other provisions. The measure would also bolster Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by directing the Department of Homeland Security to modernize border facilities, expand staffing and workforce planning and deploy more surveillance technology, including drones, radar systems, biometric screening and DNA collection.
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