The "Securing our Border Act" aims to bolster United States border security by reallocating existing federal funds. Specifically, it proposes to reprogram all remaining unobligated funds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement account. These funds, originally made available under Public Law 117-169, are redirected towards critical border protection initiatives. One-third of these reprogrammed funds will be transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to procure and implement nonintrusive inspection systems . The goal is to achieve a 100 percent scanning rate at all northern and southwest border land ports of entry by February 6, 2034. The remaining two-thirds of the funds are designated for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support the construction of a border wall system along the southwest international border, with DHS required to submit quarterly implementation and cost reports to Congress. To address staffing needs, the bill authorizes the CBP Commissioner to provide various bonuses to agents. These include recruitment bonuses of up to $15,000 for new hires, annual retention bonuses up to 15 percent of basic pay for satisfactory service, and relocation bonuses up to 15 percent of annual basic pay for agents agreeing to transfer for at least three years. These bonuses are not considered part of basic pay for retirement or leave purposes. Furthermore, the legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the treatment of aliens arriving from contiguous territories. It mandates that such aliens shall be returned to the contiguous territory or a safe third country pending a proceeding, or be detained for further asylum consideration, including a credible fear determination. This provision replaces the previous discretionary authority to return such aliens.
The "Securing our Border Act" aims to bolster United States border security by reallocating existing federal funds. Specifically, it proposes to reprogram all remaining unobligated funds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement account. These funds, originally made available under Public Law 117-169, are redirected towards critical border protection initiatives. One-third of these reprogrammed funds will be transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to procure and implement nonintrusive inspection systems . The goal is to achieve a 100 percent scanning rate at all northern and southwest border land ports of entry by February 6, 2034. The remaining two-thirds of the funds are designated for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support the construction of a border wall system along the southwest international border, with DHS required to submit quarterly implementation and cost reports to Congress. To address staffing needs, the bill authorizes the CBP Commissioner to provide various bonuses to agents. These include recruitment bonuses of up to $15,000 for new hires, annual retention bonuses up to 15 percent of basic pay for satisfactory service, and relocation bonuses up to 15 percent of annual basic pay for agents agreeing to transfer for at least three years. These bonuses are not considered part of basic pay for retirement or leave purposes. Furthermore, the legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the treatment of aliens arriving from contiguous territories. It mandates that such aliens shall be returned to the contiguous territory or a safe third country pending a proceeding, or be detained for further asylum consideration, including a credible fear determination. This provision replaces the previous discretionary authority to return such aliens.