A new bill that has been introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Joni Ernst will drastically reduce the hundreds of children from being kidnapped and trafficked into the U.S.
Child Trafficking Now Act, the new bill, will require DNA testing to be done on children and adults to verify their relationship. This will help with those alleged family members of the children to be verified.
“It is horrifying that children are becoming victims of trafficking at our southern border. By confirming a familial connection between an alien and an accompanying minor, we can determine whether the child was brought across the border by an adult with nefarious intentions. The current crisis at our border is multifaceted and requires a holistic approach. By tackling these problems piece by piece, we will get this situation under control.”
Heres from Fox News:
“These children are being used as a ‘passport’ to get across our border, and this needs to stop,” she said. “One way to address this problem is by having DNA testing in place so we can ensure that an unaccompanied minor is actually connected with the person claiming to be their family, and not being used as an innocent pawn to skirt our immigration laws.”
Both the House and Senate bills require deportation for any adults who refuse a DNA test, and sets a maximum 10-year prison sentence for anyone fraudulently claiming ties to a minor. The bill also criminalizes “child recycling,” in which a child is repeatedly used by unrelated migrants to gain entry to the U.S.
Tests would consist of mouth swabs similar to those already in use by the State Department. The agency says such tests are 99.5 percent accurate.
These DNA tests will not only help children from being trafficked but also help catch criminals or immigrants with ill-intent.
