Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Politics and Religion
Permanent Trump Secure Border Act Explained

Permanent Trump Secure Border Act Explained

Last updated on: July 28, 2026 at 7:37 pm by Dennis McIntyre

0 Comments

Permanent Trump Secure Border Act Explained 2026-07-28T19:37:27-04:00 Dennis McIntyre

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Congress is evaluating a bill to secure the border permanently. This article will explore the bill and the impact of the proposed changes – image courtesy of Vecteezy.com.

The debate over border security remains a critical policy issue for the current Congress. On July 21, 2026, the House Judiciary Committee advanced H.R. 9773, the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, moving the legislation one step closer to debate and a vote by the full House of Representatives. The bill, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), seeks to permanently formalize a range of immigration and border security policies associated with the Trump administration. The Judiciary Committee passed the bill along partisan lines, 16–14. Let’s take a look at the bill.

What Is in H.R. 9773?

According to the bill text and committee materials, the legislation focuses on:

Asylum reform and border enforcement: The bill’s largest section focuses on asylum eligibility.
- This strengthens “safe third country standards.” The U.S. and Canada have this agreement. Mexico refused to sign one with the U.S.
Border safety and migrant protection: The legislation requires expanded inspection procedures for applicants seeking admission to the United States. Examples include:
- Mandatory Biometric and DNA Collection
- Elevated “credible fear” screenings
- Mandatory Fraud Audit

Family Provisions

Protection of Children: Under existing Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) rules, unaccompanied minors from non-contiguous nations (e.g., Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia) could not be rapidly turned back or subjected to expedited removal at the border.
- The new bill allows Border Patrol officials to subject all unaccompanied children to expedited removal regardless of their country of origin, unless they can immediately clear a strict human trafficking screening during initial intake.
Family detention standards: Under the Flores Settlement Agreement, the government was prohibited from holding children for more than twenty days.
- The proposed bill would remove the 20-day timeline and enforce detention with their parents for the entire duration of detainment.
- The new legislation mandates that DHS maintain continuous custody of parents and their children together in family detention centers. This eliminates the release of families into the U.S. with a desk appearance ticket to appear in immigration court at a future date.
Visa-overstay penalties: Federal immigration law classifies visa overstays as a civil offense. The proposed bill establishes criminal penalties and stricter grace periods.
Immigration Parole Reform: The new bill strictly curtails the Executive Branch’s broad power over individuals and specific groups, establishing stricter boundaries for these actions.
- The bill explicitly bans the executive branch from creating country-specific or group-based parole programs (such as the former programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans).

The Arguments For and Against the Bill

Many of the executive orders on border security and immigration are in response to the previous administration’s open-border policies. Supporters of the bill argue that relying strictly on executive orders leaves border security vulnerable to court challenges or reversals by future administrations. There is no single constitutional amendment or law that “created” executive orders. In fact, the phrase “executive order” does not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. Executive orders grew out of the executive branch’s inherent structure and have been used by every U.S. president since George Washington. The creation of, and changes to, legislation sit with Congress. By passing this bill, future changes would require Congressional involvement.

Critics argue that the legislation dismantles essential constitutional rights, violates international treaties, and inflicts unnecessary harm on vulnerable populations. Opponents contend that raising the legal bar for credible-fear screenings, combined with requiring people to seek protection in third countries before seeking asylum in the U.S., effectively eliminates legal asylum access for almost everyone arriving at the U.S. southern border.

Most policymakers and experts acknowledge that the current immigration system is badly broken. Over the last decade, presidents have implemented many border-policy changes through executive orders rather than through legislation passed by Congress. As a result, immigration policy has shifted significantly from one administration to the next. Although the country must fix the broken system, it is Congress that must ultimately enact lasting reforms.

The Path Forward

Approving the bill out of the Judiciary Committee is a significant step forward, but the path to a final bill is a long way off. The bill will be debated on the House floor and potentially put to a vote by the full House of Representatives. If the House approves the bill, it goes to the Senate for further debate and a vote. Most major legislation requires 60 senators to end debate before a final vote.

The Catholic View

Border security and immigration enforcement are key components of the President Trump Secure Border Act -image courtesy of Vecteezy.com.

The current immigration process is badly broken. The open borders policies of the Biden administration and the Trump enforcement policies have polarized the country and resulted in immigration becoming the most divisive topic across the country. Both sides of this issue have taken extreme positions over the past ten years. There has been little collaboration between the parties during this time, with serious consequences. While I applaud the effort to fix the legislation, the proposed changes are very restrictive and lack compassion for those who truly are seeking asylum.

Jesus’ teachings consistently emphasize compassion, mercy, and concern for the vulnerable. He teaches us to love our neighbors (Mark 12:31), welcome strangers, and care for those on the margins of society. In Matthew 25, He identified Himself with the hungry, the thirsty, and the stranger seeking welcome. These teachings naturally raise questions about how immigration laws affect asylum seekers, families, and children.

The Final Word

America is the most generous country on the planet. There have been some people who have taken advantage of our broken system and brought harm to innocent Americans. This is why fixing broken processes is critical, but creating laws that set a bar for asylum so high that few, if any, would qualify lacks compassion and care for others. The laws designed to protect the American people must also be designed to be compassionate for those who have been persecuted or have a “well-founded fear” of future persecution. Let’s pray that Congress approaches this legislation with open minds and open hearts to find the balance in the law we have sorely lacked over the past decade.

Please share your thoughts or any questions about this article in the “Comments” section below.

Stay updated on the latest articles and insights from the column. Subscribe to my newsletter to ensure you receive every new post. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.

Peace

If you like this article, you might also enjoy:

Seventeenth Sunday In Ordinary Time: Choosing God’s Wisdom
Is There A Hell? Examining Faith, History, and Debate
Trump’s Saudi Nuclear Pact And Its Middle East Impact

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

Permanent Trump Secure Border Act

Public Policy

About Dennis McIntyre

In my early years, I was a member of the Methodist church, where I was baptized as a child and eventually became a lector. I always felt very faith-filled, but something was missing. My wife is Catholic, and my children were baptized as Catholics, which helped me find what I was looking for. I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, walking with Jesus. I was welcomed into the Catholic faith and received the sacraments as a full member of the Catholic Church in 2004. I am a Spiritual Director and commissioned to lead directees through the 19th Annotation. I am very active in ministry, serving as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister and providing spiritual direction. I have spent time working with the sick and terminally ill in local hospitals and hospice care centers, and I have found these ministries challenging and extremely rewarding. In addition to publishing articles on Patheos, I have also published articles on Beliefnet.com. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

July 25, 2026

Is There a Hell? Examining Faith, History, and Debate

Next Post

July 30, 2026 Sunday Readings: Trusting in God's Abundant Provision

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"This is far from settled science. I raised questions that are already out there. You ..."

Dennis McIntyre

Are Vaccines Harming Our Children? Facts, ..."

"Your claims are false. The only evidence you present is a single non peer reviewed ..."

FOOM

Are Vaccines Harming Our Children? Facts, ..."

"The doubts were already there. You just don't want to believe them. Your passionate, although ..."

Dennis McIntyre

Are Vaccines Harming Our Children? Facts, ..."

"The question, “Are vaccines harming our children?” does not have a simple answer.Sure it does: ..."

FOOM

Are Vaccines Harming Our Children? Facts, ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category $375M penalty 1 in 9.2 quintillion 1954 1964 Civil Rights Act 3M and Dupont 764 Network 9/11 988 A Tale of Two Horses A&E Real Estate abortion abortion Abortion Abortion Pill Reversal abundant abundant life abundant life academic excellence accountability accountable active listening addiction addiction Adoption Adultery Advent Advocate Affordable Care Act Agape Agent Orange AI Alabama Supreme Court All Saints Day almsgiving American History AML anointed anti-ICE raids antisemitism antisemitism anxiety Apostles Armistice Day artificial intelligence Ascension Thursday Ash Wednesday assassination Assassinations assimilation assisted dying assisted suicide attacks attitude Australia Australia Autism Therapy Billing Fraud banned books baptism Baptism of the Lord Barnard College BBC Beatitudes Beatitudes bias Bible Reflection Bible Study Biblical Reflection Biden DOJ big beautiful bill Bioethics birthright citizenship Birthright Citizenship Blind Man BLM riots blockade Bloody Sunday Bodhi Bondi brackets breaking bread Brian Thompson Brown University bubble teams Budget management buffer zones California AB 1955 Calvary Cancer Capitol riot carry your cross cashless bail Catholic Catholic Catholic Books Catholic Education Catholic Faith Catholic Faith Formation Catholic Family Life Catholic Living Catholic Perspective Catholic Reflections census census charitable donations charity Charity Charlie Kirk Charlie Kirk Charlotte murder ChatGPT Chicago child abuse child abuse child safety online Childhood Cancer children china dependency Christian christian genocide Christian Living Christian Nation Christian Nationalism Christian Reflection Christian Reflections Christianity Christianity Christmas Christmas Church Teaching Civic Engagement civic integration Civil Commitment Climate change closed border clothing college campuses college campuses College of Cardinals Colonists Colorado Columbia University coming of the Lord commandments Commentary common good common good communication Communion Community commute sentences compact compassion compassion compassion compassion compensation concealed evidence confession Confession Congress Conservation contaminated water contention controversy Controversy conversion Corpus Christi court challenges COVID-19 COVID-19 crime Crime crime victims' rights criminalize crisis Critical Race Theory crucifixion Culture culture of death Current Events Cybersecurity D-Day Invasion David dazzling white de-escalate Dead Hand death Death Penalty democrats denuclearization destruction deterrent Devil DHS dignity of human life Discipleship Discipline discipline discipline divide Divine Mercy Sunday division Doha DOJ Donald Trump double-digit inflation doubting Thomas drug prevention drug trafficking Easter Easter Easter Monday Economic Policies Economics economy Education Education News Education Technology election Election Day electoral college Elijah Emmanuel Emmaus Energy Environment equality Establishment Clause eternal life eternal life eternal reward Ethics Ethics & Society Eucharist Eucharist Eucharistic Procession Euthanasia Evangelists Evergreen High School exalts Executive Orders expiring FACE Act FACE Act Faith faith Faith & Culture Faith & Spiritual Growth Faith & Spirituality Faith and Society Faith Reflection faithfulness Family Right and Responsibilities Act family separation fasting FDA approvals Feast of Christ the King Feast of the Holy Family federal funding Feeding Our Future Fifth Sunday of Easter Fifth Sunday of Lent Fig tree Finance financial mismanagement fire First Amendment First Amendment foreign nationals forgive Forgiveness founding fathers Fourteenth Amendment Fourth Sunday in Advent Fourth Sunday of Easter Fourth Sunday of Lent Fraud free speech freedom freedom of conscience gardener Gaudete Sunday Gay community Gaza War GDP Gen Z gender confusion gender ideology gender ideology general assembly generosity GEO Politics Geopolitics Gerrymandering gerrymandering Giving Machines Global Affairs global impact glory God God's glory God's grace God's presence God's presence God's presence God's voice Good Friday Good Shepherd Good Shepherd gospel Gospel Reflections Government Government Policy government shutdown government shutdown Government Weaponization graces Gratitude gun control Gun violence Hamas Hamas Israel War Hanukkah harvest Hate Crimes hate speech hate speech health Health Health Policy Healthcare Crisis healthcare crisis hearts heaven Hezbollah Higher Education higher prices higher revenue History History of Christianity Holiday Holidays Holiness Holy Days Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Holy Thursday Homeless homeless honor victims Hope hope hospitality hospitality Human Rights human trafficking humanitarian crisis Humanitarian Crisis humble humble humility humility Humility Hyde Act ICE ICE ICE Facility ICE Raids illegal immigrants illegal immigrants illegal immigration immigrants immigration immigration Immigration Policy Immigration Reform Independence Day inhumane integrity Interfaith International Day of Charity International Day of Tolerance International Relations intolerance involuntary Iran Iran Iran War Iran War IRS Isaiah Israel Israel Iran War January 6 January 6th Jerusalem Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Christ Jesus' divinity Jesus' humanity Jesus' identity Jesus' Identity Rooted in God Jesus' Passion John Paul II John the Baptist Johnson Amendment joint session of Congress Joseph's dream judgment July 4 Just War justice justice keyboard warriors kids under 16 kindness kingship Kwanzaa Labor Market laborers Laetare Sunday Lamb of God last charge Last Supper Last Supper Last Supper Law Law & Governance Lazarus Lazarus leave no one behind legacy Legal Issues Legal News legal settlement Lent Lent Lent and Easter lepers LGBTQ+ Light Breaks Into the Darkness litigation Liturgy living water Love love low-income families lowly Luke Luke Luke 15 Lulumon Maduro Mainstream Media March Madness Martha and Mary Mary and Martha mask mandate mass deportations Mass Deportations mass executions mass shootings Mayor Mamdani Mayor Mamdani Medicaid Housing Fraud Medical Aid in Dying Medical Aid in Dying Medicare Meditation mental health Mental Health mental health mental health providers mental illness mercy Mercy Merry Christmas Messiah Meta Verdict Mexico City Policy Middle East mineral stockpile Minneapolis Minnesota tragedy mission mixed-status families MLB morally just Moses Moses mourning muslim extremists mustard seed Naaman narrow gate National Crime Victims Rights Week National Crime Victims' Rights Week National Day of Prayer National Events National Popular Vote Pact National Suicide Prevention Week National Vietnam War Veterans Day nativity NBA NCAA Mens Basketball Championship neglect New York New York New York City New York City News Nigeria No King but King Jesus novemdiales nuclear nuclear Nuclear Arms nuclear conflict Obamacare subsidies obedience oil prices Olympic Opening Ceremonies Online Sports Betting open borders open borders Operation Epic Fury oppression Ordinary Time Our Father Palestine Palm Sunday pandemic papabili papal conclave parable Parable of the Lost Son parental monitoring parental notification parental rights parental rights Parenting passion patience Patriot Day Peace peace peace through strength Pentecost Pentecost persecuted Perseverance Persistence Personal Growth pet care PFAS Pharisee Philosophy physician-assisted suicide Pilgrim's Prayer political allegiance political discourse political divide political division political endorsements political leverage political rhetoric Politics poor Pope Francis Pope Francis' Death popular vote Pornography poverty Poverty poverty power prayer Prayer Prayer Prayer prayer prayer prayer Prayer and Devotion pre-existing conditions preiest Presidential Pardon pride Pro-Hamas Protests Pro-Life pro-life supporters Project Vault protests protests protests PTSD Public discourse Public Lands Public Policy public witness punitive tariffs Quads Racism raised from the dead readiness reciprocal tariffs Reconciliation redemptive suffering Redistricting redistricting reflection rejoice relationship Relationship relationship relationship relationship relax and recharge religion Religion Religion & Ethics Religion & Faith Religion and Culture Religion and Society religious extremism religious freedom Religious Freedom Reparations reporting resolve resurrection resurrection retreat rich man righteousness rising Roblox Sabbath safety safety risks Saint Paul Saint Peter Salmon River School District Samaritan woman SAVE Act SB 5375 School Choice school shooting School shooting School systems SCOTUS Scripture Scripture Commentary Scripture Reflections Scripture Study Seal of Confession Second Amendment Second Sunday in Advent Second Sunday in Lent Second Sunday of Easter secure elections sede vacante Self-Care self-giving love self-harm Selma Separation of church and state servant leadership Seventh Sunday of Easter sexual exploitation Sexually explicit content sheep shelters Siloam simple sin sin Sixth Sunday of easter SNAP Social Issues Social Justice social media Social Media Ban social reform Society Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity speech spiritual spiritual blindness Spiritual Companion spiritual direction Spiritual Direction Spiritual Growth spiritual liberty Spiritual Priorities spiritual unity Spiritual Unity spiritual urgency spirituality Spirituality Sports State Stewards Submarines suffering suicide Suicide suicide pod Sunday Mass Readings Sunday Readings Surrender Sydney Tariffs tariffs tax taxes Technology teen suicide Teens Temple Temptations in the Desert Ten Commandments Tennessee bills term limits terminally ill Terror Attacks Terrorism Texas SB 2972 Thanksgiving The Advocate The Day of the Lord Theology Third Sunday in Advent Third Sunday of Lent Timeout boxes Tolerance total commitment toxic training Transfiguration Transfiguration transformation Transformed Life Transgender Treasures in Heaven trial Triduum trinity Trinity Trump Trump Trump Trust trust Truth two disciples U.S. Foreign Policy U.S. Growth U.S. History U.S. News U.S. Supreme Court Ukraine War Ukraine War unaccompanied minors Uncategorized unconditional understanding United Nations United States unity unity unity Unity unity with God universal health care unjust judge unselfish Urban Affairs Vaccinations vending machines Venezuela Veterans Day Vietnam War Vigilant violent protests visas revoked voter suppression waiting War on Drugs Washington State well widow wooden beam Word made flesh World Affairs World Community Sunday World Day Against Trafficking in Persons World News World Trade Center World War II World War III worldly tasks worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group traditionally worships in silence?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Anglicans Jehovah’s Witnesses Baptists Quakers