{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-scott-senate-colleagues-fight-to-secure-the-border/", "Senator Scott, Senate Colleagues Fight to Secure the Border", "2023-09-19", "2023", "2023-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his Senate colleagues in introducing the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which stands as the most comprehensive border security legislation in decades. The Secure the Border Act addresses the Biden administration\u2019s open border crisis by increasing the number of Border Patrol Agents, resuming construction on the border wall, tightening asylum standards, criminalizing visa overstays and prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from using its app to assist illegal immigrants.\n\n\u201cThe numbers don\u2019t lie: the border crisis is not going away,\u201d said Senator Scott. \u201cFrom fentanyl trafficking to human trafficking to known terrorists infiltrating our country, the Biden administration\u2019s open border policy is anything but humane. It\u2019s time we recognize that border security is national security and secure our country.\u201d\n\nCompanion legislation, introduced by U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), has passed the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nThe Republican National Committee\u2019s data shows 7 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border under the Biden administration. This number includes 85,000 unaccompanied children whom the Biden administration is unable to account for \u2013 60% of whom are likely to be exploited through child pornography and drug trafficking. Additionally, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl during FY 2022, fueled by Chinese suppliers and Mexican cartels targeting the open border and making fentanyl overdose the leading cause of death for young Americans. In addition to the humanitarian crisis and fentanyl crisis, the Biden administration\u2019s open border policy has escalated a national security crisis, with record numbers of terrorists apprehended at the border.\n\nJoining Senators Scott and Cruz are Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Ky.), and Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).\n\nSummary of the Secure the Border Act:\n\nRequires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume border wall construction.\n\nIncreases the number of Border Patrol Agents.\n\nTightens asylum standards by restricting asylum to only aliens who present at ports of entry and by requiring aliens to prove they are \u201cmore likely than not\u201d to qualify for their asylum claim.\n\nNarrows DHS\u2019s power to unilaterally grant parole to illegal aliens.\n\nCriminalizes 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.\n\nStops NGOs from using tax dollars to transport or lodge illegal aliens andprovide illegal aliens with lawyers.\n\nRestricts DHS from using its CBP One app to welcome illegal aliens into the country.\n\nRequires employers to use E-Verify.\n\nEnsures CBP has access to the criminal history databases of all countries of origin and transit so that CBP is aware of the criminal history of illegal aliens encountered at the southern border.\n\nFull text of the Secure the Border Act can be found here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nSenator Scott\u2019s work to address the border and fentanyl crisis include:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:35:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/senator-scott-senate-colleagues-fight-to-secure-the-border/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9439331479370594, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}