SB 53, the PRINTS Act, would direct the Department of Homeland Security, through U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to take fingerprints from certain noncitizen children under age 14 when a CBP officer suspects the child is a victim of human trafficking. The bill ties that authority to standards under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and is framed as a tool to reduce child trafficking and identify trafficking patterns at the border.
The bill also creates a new federal crime for adults age 18 or older who knowingly use a minor who is not their relative or guardian to gain entry into the United States. That offense would carry a fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both. In addition, the bill requires DHS to share collected fingerprints with the Department of Health and Human Services upon request for unaccompanied alien children transferred into HHS custody, and it requires DHS to provide annual reports to Congress and monthly public website updates on apprehensions involving child traffickers who falsely claim a child is a close relative.
Impact
If enacted, SB 53 would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize fingerprinting of certain suspected trafficking victims under 14 and would add a new criminal provision to title 18 targeting the use of unrelated minors for border entry. It would also impose new interagency information-sharing duties between DHS and HHS and create new reporting obligations to Congress and the public. The bill would primarily affect CBP screening practices, immigration enforcement, and criminal liability for adults involved in smuggling or trafficking schemes involving children.
Sentiment
The available context shows the bill was introduced by a group of Republican senators and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, with no recorded votes or committee transcript excerpts provided. Based on the bill’s text and sponsorship, the measure appears to be presented as a border-security and anti-trafficking enforcement bill, with an emphasis on identifying and deterring child trafficking. Because there is no recorded debate or vote history in the provided materials, there is no direct evidence of broader bipartisan support or opposition in the available record.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the fingerprinting of very young noncitizen children suspected of trafficking victimization, the expansion of criminal penalties for adults using minors to enter the country, and the public reporting requirements. Supporters are likely to view these provisions as necessary anti-trafficking and enforcement tools, while critics may raise privacy, child-welfare, due-process, and humanitarian concerns, especially regarding the treatment of minors who may themselves be victims. The bill also raises interagency data-sharing issues between DHS and HHS and could be debated over whether it appropriately distinguishes trafficking victims from smugglers or family units.
Reforms the organizational structure for the Department of Transportation and Development including its duties, powers, and responsibilities of officers and employees (EN INCREASE SD EX See Note)
A bill for an act providing for certain business entities acting under the jurisdiction of the secretary of state by providing for the removal of information from a filing based on a sworn affidavit and administrative dissolution based on the response to interrogatories.(See HF 2678.)