March 12, 2024
Throughout its one-year duration, the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act (H.R. 7372) would undo the U.S. protection system for unaccompanied children by eliminating core anti-trafficking protections, subjecting these children to detention in jail-like CBP facilities for up to one year, and forcing them to wait alone in dangerous conditions in Mexico under an expansive “Remain in Mexico” directive. In doing so, the Act would decimate bipartisan safeguards for this uniquely vulnerable population and ensure children’s return to human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and extreme violence. KIND urges Members of Congress to reject this legislation and to embrace reforms that build upon, rather than tear down, existing protections.
