Ensuring United Families at the Border Act
Sponsored By: Representative Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
Introduced
Summary
Expands federal authority to detain children who arrive with adults and to hold families together in immigration custody. It would change how the law treats children who are not "unaccompanied" and set a federal framework for detaining certain parents with their under‑18 children.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
More detention for immigrant families
If enacted, DHS would use INA sections 217, 235, 236, and 241 to detain accompanied children, with no presumption against detention. Parents charged only with the 8 U.S.C. 1325(a) misdemeanor who entered with a child under 18 would be kept in DHS custody. DHS would detain the parent together with the child while those charges are pending. These rules would apply regardless of other laws or settlements. They would take effect on enactment and apply to actions before, on, or after that date.
No state licenses for child detention
If enacted, States would be barred from requiring licenses for immigration detention centers that hold children or families. This would remove state licensing oversight for those facilities. The change would apply regardless of other laws or settlements. It would take effect on enactment and apply to actions before, on, or after that date.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
AZ • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Burlison, Eric [R-MO-7]
MO • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Crane
AZ • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Nehls
TX • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov