Sen. Cruz, Colleagues Introduce Asylum Accountability Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), in conjunction with Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced the Asylum Accountability Act. This legislation would impose a significant increase in the penalty for illegal aliens who fail to appear in immigration court by permanently barring them from gaining any future benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The unsustainable increase in illegal entries at our southern border are due in part to the misconception by illegal immigrants that they will be able to submit a fraudulent asylum application to get a court date, dodge their scheduled court date, and then continue to reside in the United States free of consequences. The failure to secure our border and end fraudulent asylum applications combined with the limitations placed on law enforcement and the Border Patrol by the Biden Administration is the very reason illegal aliens continue to pour across our borders. The current 10-year penalty is clearly insufficient in deterring absconders and does not adequately compel them to appear in court.
About the bill, Sen. Cruz said:
“Too many asylum claimants are illegal aliens trying to flaunt our laws and ignore immigration court requirements. We need to crack down on people who are abusing our generous asylum system and send the message that America is a country of laws, and if you do not want to obey them, you can’t stay here. This is fair and just, supporting those who actually need asylum while ensuring America’s generosity is not abused. It’s long overdue, and I’m proud to support these reforms to permanently ban anyone who ignores our immigration courts.”
Background:
Under current law, an illegal alien who fails to appear for their immigration court hearing will be deportable and banned from entering the United States for 10 years. Because of the Biden Administration’s failed catch and release policies, the current wait time for an asylum case to be completed is 4 ½ years. Illegal immigrants are taking advantage of our asylum system by making an asylum claim then running out the clock and never showing up for their immigration court hearing.
Read the text of the bill here.
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