WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) yesterday joined U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) and 17 of his Senate colleagues as an original co-sponsor of the Protect Kids and Parents Act.
“The situation at the border is unacceptable and it needs to be resolved,” said Blunt. “This bill will keep families together and expedite the asylum process. It will increase the number of federal immigration judges to help address the backlog of cases, which now tops 700,000. We need to strengthen our border security and uphold our laws, and we can do that without compromising our values as a nation. I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation and continue our work toward fixing all aspects of our broken immigration system, starting with border security.”
The Protect Kids and Parents Act Would:
- Double the number of federal immigration judges, from roughly 375 to 750;
- Authorize new temporary shelters, with accommodations to keep families together;
- Mandate that illegal immigrant families must be kept together, absent aggravated criminal conduct or threat of harm to the children;
- Provide for expedited processing and review of asylum cases, so that—within 14 days—those who meet the legal standards will be granted asylum, and those who do not will be immediately returned to their home countries.