Congressmembers Nick Langworthy and Elise Stefanik have introduced new legislation aimed at tightening border security and preventing the entry of migrants deemed national security or public safety threats.
The Safeguarding Americans from Extremist Risk (SAFER) at the Border Act would restrict the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from granting immigration parole to individuals flagged in federal threat databases, including suspected terrorists, members of transnational criminal organizations, and those linked to espionage.
“A nation without secure borders is a nation in decline,” Langworthy said. “This legislation is about protecting American families from threats that never should have made it onto our soil in the first place.”
Stefanik criticized both the Biden administration and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, saying their border and immigration policies have endangered communities.
“She has put all New Yorkers at risk by prioritizing illegals first and New Yorkers LAST,” Stefanik said. “We must put law-abiding New Yorkers first and secure our borders.”
In addition to limiting parole authority, the bill would prohibit the use of humanitarian parole for refugee admissions outside the standard vetting process and reinforce inadmissibility laws with statutory language targeting individuals with ties to terrorism or foreign criminal networks.
The legislation is supported by several immigration and security organizations, including the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Immigration Accountability Project, and the America First Policy Institute.
“The SAFER at the Border Act prioritizes safeguarding American communities,” said Grant Newman of the Immigration Accountability Project. Chad Wolf, former acting Homeland Security Secretary, called the legislation “a commonsense step” to reverse what he described as “disastrous” border policies.
The bill has been co-sponsored by more than a dozen House Republicans, including Reps. Claudia Tenney, Nicole Malliotakis, and Michael Guest.
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