VIDEO RELEASE: Senator Ashley Moody Introduces Legislation to Empower States to Enforce Illegal Immigration Laws & Prevent Human Trafficking of Children at the Border

Jun 10, 2025

Click image above to view SenatorMoody’s remarks
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Today,Senator Ashley Moody introduced two pieces of legislation to expand immigrationenforcement efforts and reverse reckless and dangerous policies implemented bythe Biden administration. TheReimbursement for Immigration Partnershipswith Police to Allow Local Law Enforcement Act, orRIPPLE Act, is anexpansion of the 287(g) program that enables states to assist in immigrationenforcement and expedites the process of fixing Biden’s open-border mess thatwreaked chaos across the country. TheStop Government Abandonment andPlacement Scandals (Stop GAPS) Actrequires the Office of RefugeeResettlement (ORR) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to workwith states when placing unaccompanied migrant children with an adult or entityseeking custody. The bill aims to address Biden’s ORR losing track of tens ofthousands of children who were often times placed in dangerous situations—reported in the Third Presentment of theTwenty-First Statewide Grand JuryinFlorida.
Senator Ashley Moodysaid, “The Biden administration did historic damage to our country’simmigration and national security structures, putting our nation andunaccompanied children at risk, and turning federal agencies into middlemen formass human trafficking operations. As Florida’s Attorney General I fought constantlyin court to stop the intentional destruction of our border and trafficking ofminors.
“Expanding the 287(g) program will provide resources tostate law enforcement to more efficiently get dangerous criminals out of ourcommunities. Right now, we are watching disorder and chaos spread throughCalifornia. This bill will ensure that our local, state and federal lawenforcement have the resources they need to hold those who break the lawaccountable. This lawlessness will not be tolerated. As a United StatesSenator, I will continue to work with President Trump to not only reverse thefailures of the Biden administration but ensure that it can never happenagain—theRIPPLE ActandThe Stop Government Abandonment andPlacement Scandals (Stop GAPS) Actare critical steps.”
Congresswoman Laurel Lee,the lead House sponsor of the RIPPLE Act, said, “Amid the escalating civilunrest in Los Angeles, our law enforcement officers, with unwavering courage,face life-threatening situations while upholding the rule of law and protectingcommunities from the chaos of riots. Their actions demonstrate a selflessdedication to preserving our nation’s security and values. The RIPPLE Actensures that local law enforcement officers have the support they need to helpenforce immigration laws. By covering overtime pay and key personnel costs,this bill ensures that local, state, and federal law enforcement officers canwork together to stop the chaos and lawlessness in California, and to ensureour immigration laws are followed across America.”
BACKGROUND:
TheReimbursement for Immigration Partnerships withPolice to Allow Local Law Enforcement Act,or theRIPPLE Act,expandseligible reimbursable expenses to state and local law enforcement agenciesparticipating in the 287(g) program. It would enable non-federal lawenforcement agencies to commit already-sworn officers to immigrationenforcement so they can act as a force multiplier for federal immigrationenforcement in the short term while hiring, training, and on-boarding newfederal officers – a more time-intense process – is underway.
TheStop Government Abandonment andPlacement Scandals (Stop GAPS) Act,would strike existing law which allowsthe Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to place unaccompanied children withany adult or entity seeking custody.It would require ORR to work with states to help findhomes and proper placements for the minors and to track these children for theduration of their stay in U.S. while immigration proceedings are ongoing.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is a division ofthe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that is responsible forcoordinating the care and placement of refugees, including unaccompaniedchildren, who arrive in the United States. When children arrive in the UnitedStates without a parent or legal guardian, they are initially processed by U.S.Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) and subsequently transferred to the custody of the ORR, which isresponsible for their care and placement.
The Biden Administration infamously lost track of tens ofthousands of unaccompanied immigrant children, many of whom were placed intodangerous situations as reported in theThird Presentment of the Twenty-First Statewide Grand Juryin Florida. Additionally, the Biden HHS refused to provide documents orproduce witnesses before the Grand Jury and apparently actively encouraged theFlorida entities with which it has contracted to not cooperate with the GrandJury.
According to the Grand Jury findings:
“ORR is facilitating the forced migration, sale, and abuseof foreign children…This process exposes children to horrifying healthconditions, constant criminal threat, labor and sex trafficking, robbery, rapeand other experiences not done justice by mere words.”
The presentment found, among other things:
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