Chairman Tim Scott and Senator Bernie Moreno have introduced a bill to empower President Trump with economic sanction capabilities against foreign entities that facilitate illegal immigration into the United States. The proposed legislation, known as the Stifling Transnational Operations and Proliferators by Mitigating Activities that Drive Narcotics, Exploitation, and Smuggling Sanctions Act (STOP MADNESS Act), aims to ensure compliance with U.S. immigration laws.
"If a foreign entity shows resistance to repatriation or enables illegal immigration to the United States, they should be met with the full force of our economic and national security tools," stated Chairman Scott. He emphasized the mandate given by the American people to address illegal immigration effectively.
Senator Moreno highlighted the intention of the bill: "Socialist dictators like Gustavo Petro are going to learn they have two options with President Trump when it comes to migrant reparations: the easy way and the hard way." He added that this legislation would equip President Trump with necessary authority to exert pressure on corrupt individuals in foreign governments.
The STOP MADNESS Act proposes sanctions on foreign governments obstructing U.S. repatriation efforts and on those facilitating unlawful immigration. It seeks to deny access to the U.S. financial system for such actors by leveraging financial restrictions.
Key provisions include imposing sanctions on non-compliant foreign governments regarding citizen repatriation, targeting individuals and networks involved in human smuggling, authorizing presidential use of powers under IEEPA for asset blocking, and mandating presidential reports on actions taken under this bill.