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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Republicans have reintroduced legislation that seeks to combat child trafficking and human exploitation at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The proposed End Child Trafficking Now Act would mandate DNA testing to verify familial relationships between undocumented immigrants and accompanying minors.
Newsweek contacted Senator Marsha Blackburn, who previously introduced the legislation, for comment via email outside normal office hours.
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Why It Matters
The second Trump administration, which is set to take office on January 20, has vowed to enact a hard-line immigration agenda, including stricter border controls and mass deportations.
Critics of the legislation proposing DNA testing to establish familial relationships between undocumented immigrants say it could lead to further family separations, which sparked overwhelming public outcry during the first Trump administration.
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What To Know
In a joint press release issued on Friday, 11 Republican senators reintroduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act, which failed to gain support from Democrats across the aisle in 2024.
The legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to deport illegal immigrant adults who refuse a DNA test and would mandate a maximum 10-year prison sentence for those who falsify family relationships or guardianship over minors.
It also criminalizes the practice of "child recycling," where the same child is used repeatedly by undocumented adults, who are neither their relatives nor legal guardians, to gain entry into the U.S.
Additionally, the bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to treat any child without proven family ties or legal guardianship as an unaccompanied minor under existing law.
The Senate Republicans behind the bill are Blackburn, Bill Cassidy, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, Joni Ernst, Bill Hagerty, John Hoeven, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Thom Tillis, Pete Ricketts and Mike Lee.
According to the lawmakers, up to 30 percent of minors DNA tested were found to be unrelated to the adults they were traveling with. Almost 110,000 unaccompanied migrant children crossed the southern border in fiscal year 2024, according to Customs and Border Protection.
Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas previously received backlash after saying the agency's responsibility for addressing child trafficking ended once minors were handed over to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to monitor tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children after their release from government custody, according to an audit by the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security.
The audit found that between 2019 and 2023, ICE transferred more than 448,000 unaccompanied children to the Department of Health and Human Services. After the children were released from the department's custody, ICE struggled to track the whereabouts of many of them. During this period, more than 32,000 children missed scheduled immigration court hearings, and ICE was unable to determine their locations.
What People Are Saying
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, said in a news release on Friday: "The Biden-Harris border crisis fueled human trafficking and cartel activity. The End Child Trafficking Now Act safeguards DNA testing to make sure children are not exploited by illegal migrants crossing our southern border."
Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, said in the release: "As many as 30 percent of children DNA tested were found not to be related to the illegal immigrants posing as family members. Meanwhile, drug cartels and gangs use minors to falsely present themselves as family units and seek asylum at our southern border.
"The Biden administration's decision to halt all DNA familial testing not only put the safety of Americans at risk but also increased the number of migrant children being trafficked. My legislation would stop criminals in their tracks and help protect children from exploitation—an idea we should all be able to support."
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, said in the release: "Cartels are trafficking millions of illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border, and they are exploiting every loophole in our laws to do so. By performing DNA testing, we can verify whether a child is truly traveling with a relative, or is instead being sold into slavery. I'm proud to work with Sen. Marsha Blackburn and my colleagues to fight for the human rights of those being trafficked and against the billion-dollar cartel human trafficking network."
Derek Benner, then the executive associate director of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, said in 2019: "It is clear on-site DNA testing has a strong deterrent effect, as HSI agents witnessed multiple instances of individuals confessing to faux families prior to being tested."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Democrats will cross the aisle to support the Republican-backed legislation, though some have begun to veer right on immigration and border security.
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