Daines Leads Colleagues in Introducing the “SAFER at the Border Act”

• July 29, 2024

U.S. Senator Steve Daines led the introduction of the "Safeguarding Americans From Extremist Risk (SAFER) at the Border Act" that would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from paroling migrants who are designated as Known and Suspected Terrorists or Special Interest Aliens. Under President Biden, over 1 million illegal migrants, some of whom have been later arrested for potential ties to terrorist organizations have been paroled into the country.

"Joe Biden and Senate Democrats' refusal to secure the southern border has resulted in the loss of American lives, and as long as migrants with criminal records and potential terrorist ties are being let into the country, our national security is at risk. This bill will help protect our nation against the very real and serious consequences of Joe Biden's open southern border," Daines said.

The "SAFER at the Border Act" would:

• Prohibit DHS from paroling any alien who is a refugee or who has been designated a Known and Suspected Terrorist (KST)/Special Interest Alien (SIA) into the United States.
• Give States standing in federal court to sue DHS if their failure to adhere to the parole prohibition requirements causes harm to the State or its residents.
• An SIA is a non-citizen who, based on an analysis of travel patterns and other available information, potentially poses a national security risk to the United States or its interests.

Read the full text of the bill HERE.

Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) joined Daines in introducing the bill.

Statements of Support:

"Border security is national security and our open southern border has significantly increased our Nation's vulnerability to terrorist attacks. An unprecedented number of terrorists, special interest aliens, and cartel members have exploited the Biden Administration's failed border strategy and been released into American communities. We must reverse course from these disastrous policies, secure our border, and stop these national security and public safety threats from entering our Nation. The Safeguarding Americans from Extremist Risk (SAFER) at the Border Act empowers the Department of Homeland Security to protect American families." -Chad Wolf, former acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Executive Director of the America First Policy Institute.

"Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we have seen a record number of terror watchlist encounters at our southern border. Some known terror suspects have even been released into American communities. Reportedly, at least one Tajik with ISIS ties made use of the unlawful Biden-Harris CBP One app and mass-parole program. Industrial scale abuse of emergency parole authority without the consent of Congress is bad enough, but using it to bring bad actors into the homeland is inexcusable, preventable, and terrifying. We cannot afford to wait until some horrific attack happens on U.S. soil. Heritage Action supports this legislation and applauds Sen. Daines for working to protect Americans from the Biden-Harris border crisis." -Ryan Walker, Executive Vice President, Heritage Action

"The public is right to be outraged by the Biden Administration's release of millions of illegal aliens into the interior of the United States, which includes the systematic abuse of parole authority to grant many of those illegal aliens work authorization. What is even more stunning, however, is the fact that this Administration has allowed special interest aliens (SIAs) and known and suspected terrorist aliens (KSTs) to enter and benefit from that abuse. This has to stop before it is too late. The Immigration Accountability Project applauds Senator Daines for his effort to help bring sanity and security back to the immigration system." - Grant Newman, Director of Government Relations, Immigration Accountability Project

"As a result of the Biden Administration's catch-and-release policies and abuse of parole, dangerous aliens are more likely than ever before to slip through the cracks. Suspected terrorists are being encountered at our borders in record numbers, special interest aliens are flooding into the country, and this administration is asleep at the wheel, putting the interests of illegal aliens over protecting our national security. Limiting the DHS Secretary from paroling aliens designated as terrorists, suspected terrorists, or special interest aliens is a commonsense step, and so too is ensuring that state officials have the right to hold the federal government accountable for failing to detain and remove illegal aliens. FAIR applauds Senator Daines for putting forward this crucial bill to help end the Biden Administration's abuse of our immigration laws and ensure the safety of American citizens." - Joe Chatham, Director of Government Relations, FAIR

The bill is endorsed by the Immigration Accountability Project (IAP), the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), Heritage Action, and NumbersUSA.