Stop the Cartels Act: Enhanced Intelligence, Sanctions, and Immigration Law Changes.
This Act aims to enhance national security by intensifying intelligence gathering against drug trafficking organizations and human smugglers in Latin America. It authorizes the designation of cartels as Special Transnational Criminal Organizations, allowing for asset freezing, and imposes financial penalties on US jurisdictions that fail to comply with federal immigration enforcement. For citizens, this means potential improvements in border security, but also significant changes to asylum procedures and the detention standards for families at the border, overriding certain judicial decrees.
Key points
Intelligence Prioritization: Mandates detailed reports on drug cartel and human trafficking activities in Mexico and 19 other Latin American countries, prioritizing intelligence resources for these threats.
Financial Sanctions on 'Safe Harbor' Jurisdictions: Prohibits federal financial assistance to US states or local governments that violate federal immigration laws or restrict cooperation with federal enforcement.
Cartel Designation: Authorizes the Secretary of State to designate cartels as 'Special Transnational Criminal Organizations,' enabling asset freezing and application of anti-terrorism statutes.
Asylum and Detention Changes: Amends the definition of 'credible fear of persecution' to be more stringent and overrides the application of certain judicial decrees (like the Flores settlement) regarding the detention conditions of minors and families.
Increased Immigration Judges: Authorizes the hiring of at least 500 additional immigration judges and corresponding support staff to accelerate removal proceedings.
Repurposing Drug Program Funds: Increases funding for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants by repealing several other federal substance abuse and mental health programs.
Expired
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