House and Senate Democrats unveiled legislation this week to make it harder to detain LGBTQ illegal immigrants. The bill establishes a new “vulnerable person” class for illegal aliens, which includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex individuals, among other groups such as the elderly or those with a serious disability. If passed, so-called “vulnerable persons” would be largely exempt from detention unless the Department of Homeland Security can prove extenuating circumstances. The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act would also ban private detention facilities for illegal aliens and establish new standards for government facilities set by the American Bar Association.
“There’s no question that our immigration system is broken,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, one of the bill’s sponsors.
“The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act urgently reforms the alarming injustices of a broken, for-profit immigration detention system… This is a measure that will go a long way to restore humanity and dignity to the immigration system.”
Subscribe to Florida Jolt Newsletter!
📸 from the border capturing groups of illegal immigrants traversing through ranches, scaling a portion of the border wall, and backpacking bundles of drugs between the ports of entry. Camera technology is vital to border security in providing images in real time for LE response. pic.twitter.com/WXEbKk2JLX
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) April 18, 2023
Under the bill, DHS is permitted to detain or release illegal aliens on bond while awaiting a decision on their removal, but with new caveats making it more difficult to process many of them, including those with LGBTQ identities. DHS officials would be given 48 hours to determine whether to detain an illegal alien, but only after proving that they are not a flight risk and that their release would not “endanger the safety” of others, according to Fox News Digital. Even in those exceptional cases, DHS would be required to “impose the least restrictive conditions” possible on detainees.
The bill would additionally seek to exempt some groups from detention altogether, creating a “special rule for vulnerable persons and primary caregivers” who “may not be detained” except under extenuating circumstances. Those vulnerable persons include illegal aliens who are over the age of 60 or under the age of 21, pregnant, severely disabled, or that “identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex.” Illegal aliens who are victims or witnesses to a crime or have filed a non-frivolous civil or workplace claim would also be designated “vulnerable.”
Illegal aliens with a “limited English language proficiency” would also qualify.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, nearly half of all “unauthorized” persons in the United States either speak English “not well” or “not at all.”
Join your fellow patriots and subscribe to our Youtube Channel.
NEW: CBP reports there were 191,900 migrant encounters at the southern border in March, including 162,317 encountered by Border Patrol crossing illegally between ports of entry, a 25% increase over February (130,024). CBP attributes the uptick to warmer weather.
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) April 17, 2023
In a joint statement with the other co-sponsors, Senator Cory Booker said Thursday that he was proud to introduce the bill, calling it in line with “our country’s core values.”
“Our immigration system has allowed for the unjust treatment of immigrants and stripped them of their humanity and due process. We must respect and protect the basic rights of immigrants detained in the United States. I am proud to reintroduce this bill that would ensure our immigration system aligns with our country’s core values.”
According to Fox News Digital, the bill has received the support of dozens of House Democrats, including House Majority Whip Katherine Clark, and “a handful of Senate Democrats.”
Other stories you may want to read:
Hysterical Dem Eskamani-Teen Girls Will ‘Cut Off Their Own Breasts,’ If Child Sex Changes Banned
- Chuck Millar Stands Out as Palm Beach Gardens’ Most Seasoned Leader - February 24, 2025
- Navy Vet Thomas Turkin Fights for a Better Boynton - February 10, 2025
- Rebecca Shelton’s Vision to Revitalize Boynton Beach - January 29, 2025