,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bcdg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #ah1 #bjai    
,mr4 ,vela 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,gonzalez 
of ,texas1 and ,mr4 ,cuellar7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was referred 
to the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a 
,,bill  ,to expand in-country processing
 of family units and minors in          
,guatemala1 ,honduras1 and ,el ,salvador
 to provide relief to the southern      
border and uphold access to humanitarian
 protection consistent with ,u4,s4 laws4
  #a4  ,short title ,this ,act may be   
cited as the ,border and ,refugee       
,assistance ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,need   
for comprehensive assistance strategy   
,it is the sense of ,congress that a    
multifaceted ,u4,s4 response is needed  
to address the humanitarian crisis in   
the ,northern ,triangle4 ,such a        
response must include ,u4,s4 investment 
in the ,northern ,triangle aimed at     
improving governance1 enhancing         
security1 and promoting prosperity in   

the region as well as investments in the
 ,u4,s4 ,department of ,state's ,refugee
 ,processing ,center1 ,,uscis ,asylum   
,division1 and ,u4,s4 ,immigration      
,courts to uphold access to humanitarian
 protection consistent with ,u4,s4 law  
and international standards4 ,in-country
 processing of refugee claims is only   
one component of a comprehensive        
strategy1 aimed at providing increased  
economic and security conditions in the 
,northern ,triangle4  #c4 ,expansion of 
in-country processing ,notwithstanding  
any other provision of law3 7a7 ,the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security and   
the ,secretary of ,state shall work     
together to expand in-country refugee   
processing centers within ,northern     
,triangle countries to accept           
applications from family units and      
minors in order to provide a safe and   
orderly process for processing claims   
and ensuring humanitarian protection4   
7b7 ,victims of domestic violence and   
gangs are eligible to qualify for       

refugee protections4  7c7 ,authorization
 of appropriations ,there are authorized
 to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to implement section #c4