H.R. 6798 — Introduced in House

I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6798 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 8, 2020Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Engel, Mr. Sires, Ms. Bass, Ms. Castor of Florida, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Payne, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Soto, Ms. Pressley, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Norton, Ms. Velázquez, and Ms. Wasserman Schultz) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To defer removal of nationals of Haiti during the COVID-19 emergency period, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Haitian Deportation Relief Act. 2. Deferral of removal to Haiti (a) In general An alien may not be removed during the period described in subsection (b) if the alien— (1) is a national of Haiti; (2) has been ordered removed at any time before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act; and (3) is physically present in the United States on such date of enactment. (b) Period The period described in this subsection shall begin on the date of enactment of this Act and end on the date that is the later of— (1) the date on which the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)) expires; or (2) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, submits to Congress a written report assessing the spread of COVID-19 in Haiti and certifying that— (A) the emergency in Haiti with respect to COVID-19 has ended; (B) there is not a risk of community transmission of COVID-19 in Haiti; and (C) Haiti’s public health infrastructure is not at risk of being overburdened by patients suspected of having contracted COVID-19. (c) Alternatives to Detention program The Secretary of Homeland Security shall prioritize for alternatives to detention an alien whose removal is deferred pursuant to this Act, unless the Secretary determines that such alien would pose a significant risk to public safety if released into the interior. (d) COVID-19 defined In this Act, the term COVID-19 means Coronavirus Disease 2019.