FIRST ON FOX: Republican Sens. Tim Scott and Bernie Moreno rolled out a measure to provide President Donald Trump with tools to sanction bad actors “fueling” illegal immigration, Fox News Digital has learned.
Scott, R-S.C., and Moreno, R-Ohio, rolled out the Stop Madness Act on Monday, which they said would give the president the power to place economic sanctions on foreign entities facilitating illegal immigration into the United States.
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Republican Sens. Tim Scott, pictured here, and Bernie Moreno rolled out a measure to provide President Donald Trump with tools to sanction bad actors “fueling” illegal immigration. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Specifically, the bill would ensure the president can impose sanctions on foreign governments that refuse to accept the return of their citizens who have unlawfully entered the U.S. — denying them access to the U.S. financial system.
The bill also would sanction individuals and entities that knowingly facilitate unlawful immigration, including human smuggling networks and financial institutions that enable their operations.
Bernie Moreno said the bill will give the president “all the authority he needs to apply maximum pressure against corrupt individuals within foreign governments who refuse to allow the US to secure our borders.” (Reuters)
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It would also authorize Trump to invoke his authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to block assets and restrict transactions related to sanctioned individuals and entities.
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The bill also would mandate a report from the president on actions taken pursuant to the bill, providing transparency to Congress for further legislative action.
“If a foreign entity shows resistance to repatriation or enables illegal immigration to the United States, they should be met with the full force of our economic and national security tools,” Scott told Fox News Digital on Monday. “The American people gave President Trump — and Congress — a mandate to crack down on illegal immigration, and this bill will ensure the president has important tools to hold accountable countries and criminal organizations who refuse to comply with our immigration laws.”
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Scott added: “I’m proud to lead this important effort to help protect the safety of Americans.”
Moreno told Fox News Digital that the bill will give the president “all the authority he needs to apply maximum pressure against corrupt individuals within foreign governments who refuse to allow the US to secure our borders.”
“Socialist dictators like Gustavo Petro are going to learn they have two options with President Trump when it comes to migrant reparations: the easy way and the hard way,” Moreno told Fox News Digital.
