,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cdhh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #af1 
#bjbe,mr4 ,cotton introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,immigration and ,nationality ,act to   
modify eligibility for asylum1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,asylum ,reform
 and ,loophole ,closure ,act4  #b4      
,modification of asylum eligibility  7a7
 ,in general ,section #bjh of the       
,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h  
,u4,s4,c4 #aaeh7 is amended-- 7#a7 in   
subsection 7a77#b7-- 7,a7 in            
subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 by striking if  
the ,attorney ,general determines that  
and inserting if the ,attorney ,general 
or the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security
 determines that--2  7ii7 by striking   
the alien may be and inserting the      
following3  7i7 the alien may be  2     
7iii7 by inserting or the ,secretary of 

,homeland ,security before finds that2  
7iv7 by striking the period at the end  
and inserting 2 or2 and  7v7 adding at  
the end the following3  7ii7 the alien  
entered1 attempted to enter1 or arrived 
in the ,united ,states after transiting 
through at least one country outside the
 alien's country of nationality 7or1 in 
the case of an alien having no          
nationality1 the country of the alien's 
last habitual residence7 en route to the
 ,united ,states1 unless the alien      
demonstrates that he or she applied for 
protection from persecution or torture  
in each such country through which the  
alien so transited1 and the alien       
received a final judgement denying the  
alien protection in such country4  2    
7,b7 by striking subparagraphs 7,b7 and 
7,d72  7,c7 by redesignating            
subparagraphs 7,c7 and 7,e7 as          
subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c71            
respectively2  7,d7 in subparagraph     
7,b71 as redesignated1 by striking      
,subject to subparagraph 7,d71 paragraph

 7#a7 and inserting ,paragraph 7#a72 and
  7,e7 in subparagraph 7,c71 as         
redesignated1 by striking ,subparagraphs
 7,a7 and 7,b7 and inserting            
,subparagraph 7,a74  7b7 ,permanent     
ineligibility for illegal entry or visa 
fraud ,section #bjh7;b77#b77;,a7 of the 
,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h  
,u4,s4,c4 #aaeh7;b77#b77;,a77 is        
amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7v71 by        
striking 2 or and inserting a semicolon2
  7#b7 in clause 7vi71 by striking the  
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7#c7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7vii7 the alien-- 7,i7 has  
committed1 or attempted to commit1      
unlawful entry in violation of section  
#bge2 or  7,,ii7 has attempted to enter 
or has obtained entry to the ,united    
,states by a willfully false or         
misleading representation or the willful
 concealment of a material fact1        
including by attempting to obtain or    
obtaining a fraudulent visa4  4  7c7    
,higher standard for establishing       

credible fear of persecution ,section   
#bce7;b77#a77;,b77v7 of the ,immigration
 and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4    
#abbe7;b77#a77;,b77v77 is amended by    
striking there is a significant         
possibility and inserting it is more    
likely than not4  7d7 ,permissible      
period of family detention ,during      
expedited removal or asylum proceedings 
under section #bce of the ,immigration  
and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4     
#abbe71 a child may be detained together
 with his or her parent for a period of 
not more than #ahj days4