Individuals charged with human trafficking or drug trafficking offenses committed near the border of the United States would be prohibited from receiving federal benefits under legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
“This legislation ensures that hardworking American taxpayers — already crushed by inflation — are not forced to fund the lifestyles of offenders who are making our country more dangerous,” Sen. Blackburn said on Wednesday.
The Stop Taxpayer Funding of Traffickers Act, S. 519, which Sen. Blackburn sponsored on Feb. 16, has four Republican original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD).
If enacted, S. 519 would define “federal benefit” to include the issuance of any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States, as well as any retirement, welfare, Social Security, health, disability, veterans, or public housing benefit, according to the text of the bill.
And in the event that the charges are dismissed or the individual is acquitted, S. 519 would provide for back payment of benefits to any individual deprived of benefits, the text says.
“For two years, President Biden’s open border policies have emboldened the cartels and caused human trafficking to grow to a $13 billion industry, with criminal cartels earning up to $14 million each day,” said Sen. Blackburn. “Last year alone, law enforcement seized over 14,000 pounds of fentanyl at the border, enough to kill over 3.3 billion people. We cannot continue to incentivize this blatant criminal activity.”
The bill is supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Putnam County (Tenn.) Sheriff, the Montgomery County (Tenn.) Sheriff, and the Cochise County (Ariz.) Sheriff.