Texas Representative Lance Gooden has reintroduced the Biometric Verification for Entry and Reconfirming Identification with Forensics (B-VERIFY) Act, aiming to tackle human trafficking and asylum fraud at the US-Mexico border. The bill mandates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect biometric data, including DNA, from migrants to verify family relationships and confirm identities.

This legislation comes as border encounters involving unaccompanied minors reach record highs, with over 81,000 cases reported this fiscal year. Gooden emphasized the urgent need to equip law enforcement with the necessary tools to address the exploitation of children by cartels and the unchecked entry of criminals.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers found two abandoned migrant children in Eagle Pass on July 3, 2023.

While the Trump administration initiated a biometric data pilot program in 2020 to address fraudulent migrant families, the Biden administration has not renewed the associated contracts. This move previously faced opposition from some Democratic lawmakers who raised concerns about the collection of biometric data without consent.

Gooden expressed confidence in bipartisan support for the bill, highlighting the importance of preventing human trafficking and verifying family connections. The DHS has reported a significant increase in human trafficking investigations and arrests between fiscal years 2020 and 2021.

Migrants apprehended after allegedly crossing illegally into the U.S. through Texas.

Greg Sindelar, CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, believes the B-VERIFY Act is a crucial step towards border security, enabling DHS to identify false asylum claims, prevent immigration fraud, and protect children. Republican senators, including Ted Cruz, have criticized the Biden administration's border policies, attributing the rise in border-related crime to the administration's actions.

President Biden's directive not to turn away unaccompanied minors has contributed to a doubling of unaccompanied minors at the southwest border during his presidency. HHS is tasked with providing education, mental health services, medical care, and family placement for these children. Since the end of Title 42 in May, over 49,000 migrants have scheduled appointments at southern border ports of entry, with several migrant deaths reported in HHS custody during this period.