Sen. Graham Introduces Immigration Bill to Fix Legal Loopholes

Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.), at a news conference proposing legislation to address the crisis at the southern border at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on May 15, 2019. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—Legislation being introduced into the Senate is aimed to close the legal loopholes that allow hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to enter and stay in the United States without a valid asylum claim.

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) bill, titled “Secure and Protect Act of 2019,” outlines four main fixes. The first is that asylum must be claimed in either the individual’s home country or in Mexico. That will prevent illegal immigrants from gaining access to the United States unless their claim is approved.