WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced today that he has cosponsored the Secure the Border Act, border security legislation that would tighten asylum standards to address frivolous asylum claims, narrow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) power to abuse its discretion to grant parole to large numbers of migrants, increase U.S. Border Patrol agent hiring, restrict DHS from using its CBP One app, and more:

“Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States has experienced an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border,” said Sen. Cornyn. “The Secure the Border Act is a welcome starting point for the Senate to begin discussing border security and enforcement legislation, and I’m glad to join my colleagues in supporting it.”

This legislation was led by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and cosponsored by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), JD Vance (R-OH), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), John Hoeven (R-ND), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Budd (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Todd Young (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Ron Johnson (R-WI). Companion legislation passed the House of Representatives in May and was introduced by Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26) and Tom McClintock (CA-05).

Background:

The Secure the Border Act would:

• Require DHS to resume border wall construction;
• Increase the number of Border Patrol Agents;
• Authorize an additional $20 million for Operation Stonegarden, bringing the total to $110 million;
• Tighten asylum standards by restricting asylum to only migrants who present at ports of entry and by requiring them to prove they are “more likely than not” to qualify for asylum;
• Narrow DHS power to unilaterally grant parole;
• Criminalize visa overstays by making the first offense a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and the second offense a felony punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and up to two years imprisonment;
• Stop non-governmental organizations (NGO) from using tax dollars to transport or lodge migrants present in the U.S. illegally and provide them with lawyers;
• Restrict DHS from using its CBP One app;
• Require employers to use E-Verify;
• And ensure U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has access to the criminal history databases of all countries of origin and transit.