HR 541 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Keep Families Together Act

Introduced Jan 14, 2019 Originated House Sponsor Jerrold Nadler D-NY

Latest action · Feb 25, 2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

IntroducedJan 14, 2019
Passed HouseNot reached
Passed SenateNot reached
To the PresidentNot reached
Became lawNot reached

Summary

Keep Families Together Act

This bill limits the separation of families at or near U.S borders or ports of entry and imposes limits on the prosecution of asylum seekers.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall not separate a child from a legal guardian at a port of entry or within 100 miles of a U.S. border unless

a state court terminates the legal guardian's rights;
a state child welfare agency or court determines it is in the child's best interests to be removed; or
the child is determined to be a trafficking victim or at risk of becoming one, the accompanying adult is most likely not the legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect.

Such separation shall end unless a licensed independent child welfare expert authorizes the separation within 48 hours.

DHS, DOJ, or HHS may not separate a child from a legal guardian solely to deter migration into the United States or to promote compliance with immigration laws.

DHS shall develop (1) training related to the bill's family separation requirements, and (2) guidance for how legal guardians may locate a separated child. HHS shall provide legal guardians weekly status updates about a separated child.

An asylum seeker who has expressed a credible or reasonable fear of persecution may not be prosecuted for certain immigration law violations until the asylum application has been finally adjudicated.

Cosponsors 202

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 14, 2019 to Dec 17, 2019; 188 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

Seat	Cosponsor		Signed on
D-VA	A. Donald McEachin	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VA	Abigail Davis Spanberger	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Adam B. Schiff	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WA	Adam Smith	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Adriano Espaillat	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Al Lawson, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Alan S. Lowenthal	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NJ	Albio Sires	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Alcee L. Hastings	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Ami Bera	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IN	André Carson	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MI	Andy Levin	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NH	Ann M. Kuster	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Anna G. Eshoo	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MD	Anthony G. Brown	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MA	Ayanna Pressley	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-UT	Ben McAdams	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NM	Ben Ray Luján	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MS	Bennie G. Thompson	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MN	Betty McCollum	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Bill Foster	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NJ	Bill Pascrell, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Bobby L. Rush	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NJ	Bonnie Watson Coleman	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Brad Sherman	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Bradley Scott Schneider	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MI	Brenda L. Lawrence	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Brendan F. Boyle	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Brian Higgins	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MD	C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Carolyn B. Maloney	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-LA	Cedric L. Richmond	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Charlie Crist	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-ME	Chellie Pingree	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Cheri Bustos	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Conor Lamb	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Daniel Lipinski	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MI	Daniel T. Kildee	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Danny K. Davis	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Darren Soto	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NC	David E. Price	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IA	David Loebsack	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-RI	David N. Cicilline	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-GA	David Scott	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MI	Debbie Dingell	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Debbie Wasserman Schultz	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NM	Debra A. Haaland	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WA	Denny Heck	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WA	Derek Kilmer	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CO	Diana DeGette	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NV	Dina Titus	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NJ	Donald M. Payne, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NJ	Donald Norcross	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VA	Donald S. Beyer, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Donna E. Shalala	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Doris O. Matsui	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Dwight Evans	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OR	Earl Blumenauer	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CO	Ed Perlmutter	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Eddie Bernice Johnson	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VA	Elaine G. Luria	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-DC	Eleanor Holmes Norton	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MD	Elijah E. Cummings	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Eliot L. Engel	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Eric Swalwell	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Filemon Vela	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NJ	Frank Pallone, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Frederica S. Wilson	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VA	Gerald E. Connolly	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Grace F. Napolitano	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Grace Meng	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-AZ	Greg Stanton	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MP	Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Gregory W. Meeks	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WI	Gwen Moore	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Harley Rouda	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-GA	Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MN	Ilhan Omar	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	J. Luis Correa	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Jackie Speier	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CT	Jahana Hayes	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CT	James A. Himes	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MA	James P. McGovern	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-RI	James R. Langevin	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MD	Jamie Raskin	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Janice D. Schakowsky	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Jared Huffman	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CO	Jason Crow	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VA	Jennifer Wexton	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Jerry McNerney	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Jesús G. "Chuy" García	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TN	Jim Cooper	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Jim Costa	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Jimmy Gomez	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Jimmy Panetta	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Joaquin Castro	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CT	Joe Courtney	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CO	Joe Neguse	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-KY	John A. Yarmuth	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CT	John B. Larson	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	John Garamendi	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-GA	John Lewis	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MD	John P. Sarbanes	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Jose E. Serrano	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Joseph D. Morelle	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MA	Joseph P. Kennedy III	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Josh Harder	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OH	Joyce Beatty	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Juan Vargas	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Judy Chu	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Julia Brownley	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Karen Bass	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MA	Katherine M. Clark	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Kathleen M. Rice	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Kathy Castor	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Katie Hill	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Katie Porter	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WA	Kim Schrier	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OR	Kurt Schrader	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Linda T. Sánchez	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-DE	Lisa Blunt Rochester	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Lois Frankel	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Lucille Roybal-Allard	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Madeleine Dean	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Marc A. Veasey	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OH	Marcia L. Fudge	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OH	Marcy Kaptur	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WI	Mark Pocan	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Mark Takano	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Mary Gay Scanlon	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Matt Cartwright	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Michael F. Doyle	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Mike Quigley	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Mike Thompson	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Nanette Diaz Barragán	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Nita M. Lowey	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Norma J. Torres	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Nydia M. Velázquez	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Paul Tonko	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Pete Aguilar	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OR	Peter A. DeFazio	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VT	Peter Welch	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WA	Pramila Jayapal	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Raja Krishnamoorthi	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MI	Rashida Tlaib	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-AZ	Raúl M. Grijalva	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Raul Ruiz	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WA	Rick Larsen	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Ro Khanna	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VA	Robert C. "Bobby" Scott	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-IL	Robin L. Kelly	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WI	Ron Kind	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CT	Rosa L. DeLauro	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-AZ	Ruben Gallego	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Salud O. Carbajal	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-GA	Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Scott H. Peters	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Sean Patrick Maloney	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MA	Seth Moulton	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Sheila Jackson Lee	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-VI	Stacey E. Plaskett	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Stephanie N. Murphy	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MA	Stephen F. Lynch	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TN	Steve Cohen	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NV	Steven Horsford	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Susan A. Davis	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-PA	Susan Wild	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-WA	Suzan K. DelBene	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OR	Suzanne Bonamici	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Sylvia R. Garcia	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Ted Lieu	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-AL	Terri A. Sewell	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Theodore E. Deutch	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Thomas R. Suozzi	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-OH	Tim Ryan	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Tj Cox	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NJ	Tom Malinowski	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-AZ	Tom O'Halleran	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Tony Cárdenas	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-HI	Tulsi Gabbard	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-FL	Val Butler Demings	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Veronica Escobar	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-TX	Vicente Gonzalez	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MA	William R. Keating	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-MO	Wm. Lacy Clay	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-NY	Yvette D. Clarke	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Zoe Lofgren	Original	Jan 14, 2019
D-CA	Maxine Waters		Jan 15, 2019
D-CA	Barbara Lee		Jan 16, 2019
D-CA	Mark DeSaulnier		Feb 25, 2019
D-IN	Peter J. Visclosky		Mar 25, 2019
D-MA	Richard E. Neal		Apr 2, 2019
D-FL	Debbie Mucarsel-Powell		Apr 25, 2019
D-HI	Ed Case		Jun 11, 2019
D-NY	Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez		Jun 26, 2019
D-AZ	Ann Kirkpatrick		Jul 10, 2019
D-MA	Lori Trahan		Jul 10, 2019
D-CA	Mike Levin		Jul 30, 2019
D-NY	Hakeem S. Jeffries		Aug 9, 2019
D-MO	Emanuel Cleaver		Oct 29, 2019
D-MD	David J. Trone		Dec 17, 2019

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

Chamber	Committee	What it did
House	Judiciary Committee	Referred Jan 14, 2019
	Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee	Referred Feb 25, 2019
House	Homeland Security Committee	Referred Jan 14, 2019
	Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee	Referred Feb 4, 2019

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

Feb 25, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
Feb 4, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.
Jan 14, 2019Introduced in House
Jan 14, 2019Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8, clause 4 provides Congress with the power to establish a ``uniform rule of Naturalization.''

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 7, January 14, 2019, page H544.

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

Number	Hearing	Committee	Held
Serial No. 116-8	THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S FAMILY SEPARATION POLICY: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE BORDER77 pages	Homeland Security Committee	Mar 26, 2019

Related bills 3

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Bill	Title	Relationship	Latest action
S 292	Keep Families Together Act	Related bill	Jan 31, 2019
S 1733	Protecting Families and Improving Immigration Procedures Act	Related bill	Jun 5, 2019
HR 6135	Keep Families Together Act	Reintroduction of	Jul 30, 2018

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced: To limit the separation of families at or near ports of entry.
Short Title(s) as Introduced: Keep Families Together Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

Jan 14, 2019Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.