Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act
Latest action · Jul 15, 2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
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.
- IntroducedJul 15, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act
This bill establishes limitations on separating alien children from parents and on detaining families, and also addresses other immigration-related matters.
A child may be separated from a parent or legal guardian at or near a port of entry or U.S. border only if (1) a state court has made a relevant ruling, such as terminating the parent's rights; (2) a qualified child welfare agency official has ruled that separation is in the child's best interest; or (3) a specified official makes certain determinations, such as concluding that a child is a trafficking victim.
A child may not be separated from a parent or guardian solely to deter migration or promote compliance with immigration laws.
This bill establishes presumptions (1) in favor of family unity and keeping siblings together, and (2) against detention.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall (1) document all child separations, (2) develop training for officers handling separations, (3) publish guidance on how to locate a separated child, (4) periodically provide a parent or guardian information about a separated child, and (5) pay for counsel to represent unaccompanied alien children in removal proceedings.
The Flores settlement (an agreement imposing conditions on the treatment of detained alien minors) and a related court holding shall apply to the detention of families.
The bill also contains provisions relating to the detention of aliens, including (1) requiring medical assessments of detained children, (2) imposing health-related standards for detention facilities, and (3) requiring DHS to provide sufficient funds for alternatives to detention programs.
Cosponsors 39
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jul 15, 2019.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-CT | Christopher Murphy | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-MI | Debbie Stabenow | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NV | Jacky Rosen | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-CA | Kamala D. Harris | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NH | Margaret Wood Hassan | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-WA | Maria Cantwell | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-VA | Mark R. Warner | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-VT | Patrick J. Leahy | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-WA | Patty Murray | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-PA | Robert P. Casey Jr. | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-WI | Tammy Baldwin | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-IL | Tammy Duckworth | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-DE | Thomas R. Carper | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-VA | Tim Kaine | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
| D-MN | Tina Smith | Original | Jul 15, 2019 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jul 15, 2019 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 15, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Jul 15, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 4
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5163 | Benjamin L. Cardin D-MD | Jul 30, 2019 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4985 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY | Jul 23, 2019 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4928 | Tim Kaine D-VA | Jul 18, 2019 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4918–S4920 | Jeff Merkley D-OR | Jul 17, 2019 |
Related bills 4
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 662 | Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2019 | Related bill | Mar 5, 2019 |
| S 1733 | Protecting Families and Improving Immigration Procedures Act | Related bill | Jun 5, 2019 |
| HR 3918 | Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act | Identical bill | Aug 6, 2019 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to protect the health and safety of children in immigration detention, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Aging
- Appropriations
- Border security and unlawful immigration
- Child care and development
- Child safety and welfare
- Congressional oversight
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Criminal justice information and records
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Homeland Security
- Detention of persons
- Disability and paralysis
- Domestic violence and child abuse
- Employment and training programs
- Family relationships
- Government buildings, facilities, and property
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government studies and investigations
- Health technology, devices, supplies
- Immigrant health and welfare
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- Judges
- Judicial procedure and administration
- Law enforcement officers
- Lawyers and legal services
- Medical tests and diagnostic methods
- Members of Congress
- Mental health
- News media and reporting
- Nutrition and diet
- Performance measurement
- Prescription drugs
- Public contracts and procurement
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
- Specialized courts
- Women's health
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 15, 2019Introduced in Senate
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.
