VICTORY! House passes NDAA without reauthorization of flawed anti-trafficking bill

This week, the Immigration Accountability Project (IAP) secured a significant legislative victory by preventing the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) without provisions to address the child-trafficking crisis it created.

TVPRA is the law that led to some 300,000 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) being "lost" by the Biden Administration, when it farmed these children out to unvetted sponsors, including sex and labor traffickers. The Senate-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) had included a reauthorization that failed to fix the provisions of the TVPRA that caused this crisis. IAP successfully insisted that this reauthorization be removed in the final version of the NDAA that would be voted on by both Chambers of Congress. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed the NDAA for fiscal year 2026 without the language that would have reauthorized the TVPRA. 

The Senate is expected to pass the House version of the NDAA next week.

This marks the second time in four months that IAP has successfully blocked a “clean” reauthorization of the TVPRA without accompanying fixes to the UAC process. In September, House Leadership pulled a separate TVPRA reauthorization bill from the floor following IAP's objection. Since then, IAP has continued our efforts to educate Congress on the reforms to prevent UAC trafficking that must be included in any TVPRA reauthorization.

In related news, the House will vote next week on H.R. 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act, introduced by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC). Sen John Cornyn (R-TX) has introduced the Senate companion (S. 3054).

The bill is named for 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton, who was tragically murdered by a UAC released by the Biden Administration under the provisions of the TVPRA. The UAC, Walter Javier Martinez, had a criminal history and an affiliation with the MS-13 gang.

The Kayla Hamilton Act proposes key changes to the placement and handling of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):

• It prohibits HHS from placing a UAC with any sponsor who is an illegal alien or has a conviction for a serious crime;
• It mandates the vetting of all adults living in a household where a UAC may be placed;
• It requires UACs aged 12 and over who are determined to be a flight risk, be a danger to the community, have a criminal record, or possess gang affiliation to be placed in secure facilities instead of being released to a sponsor; and
• It bans the release of UACs on their own recognizance.

IAP Action supports this bill.

Movement in the IAP Action Top 10

Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) moved up seven spots to No. 8 in the newest release of IAP Action's Immigration Rankings. Rep. Miller's move into the top 10 came after she cosponsored three bills identified as Key Legislation by IAP Action, including H.R. 251, the Legal Workforce Act, that would mandate E-Verify for all employers, H.R. 1241, the SAFE for America Act, that would end the Visa Lottery, and H.R. 2705, the Nuclear Family Priority Act, that would end Chain Migration.

The biggest moves of the week were by Reps. John Carter (R-TX) and Cory Mills (R-FL), who both moved up 26 spots in the House rankings after sponsoring good bills. 

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) was the biggest loser, dropping 28 spots after cosponsoring H.R. 4696, the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act, which would grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens.

Check out all the updated Immigration Rankings at IAPAction.com.

Immigration Articles

Washington Times: 18,000 confirmed and suspected terrorists entered U.S. under Biden
Joe Kent, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testified yesterday at a hearing that his agency has already identified 18,000 known or suspected terrorists who entered the United States during the Biden Administration.

Fox News: Federal judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody
The “Maryland Man” case continues as a U.S. District Court Judge ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from detention. The Trump Administration plans to appeal the order.

The Daily Signal: Supreme Court Takes Trump Birthright Citizenship Case
The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the birthright citizenship case, signaling the first time ever that the Court will rule on the merits of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens and temporary visitors. Oral arguments are expected in the spring, with a ruling in the summer.

Breitbart: Trump Touts 'Gold Card' Fast-Track Citizenship Program
This week, the President officially announced the launch of the long-touted Gold Card program. The response from the base was mixed.

Next Week

The House and Senate return for the final week of session before the Christmas break. The Senate is expected to pass the NDAA, and the House will be voting on H.R. 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act.