U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs leaders introduce STOP MADNESS Act to sanction foreign governments and entities facilitating unlawful immigration

The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs majority announced that Chairman Tim Scott and Senator Bernie Moreno are leading the STOP MADNESS Act, legislation that would give the President expanded authority to impose economic sanctions on foreign entities facilitating illegal immigration into the United States and on foreign governments that resist U.S. repatriation efforts. The bill would deny sanctioned foreign governments access to the U.S. financial system if they refuse to accept the return of their citizens who unlawfully entered the United States, and would sanction individuals and entities that knowingly facilitate unlawful immigration, including human smuggling networks and financial institutions that enable their operations. It would also authorize the President to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to block assets and restrict transactions involving sanctioned parties, and would require a presidential report on actions taken under the legislation to provide transparency to Congress.