Senate Unanimously Passes Human Trafficking Bill

On April 21, 2015 the Senate reached agreement that proposed immigration amendments will not be included in the list of Amendments to S. 178, the anti-human trafficking bill that has stalled the confirmation vote for Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch. Four Senators—Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and Sen. Thom Thillis (R-FL)—had proposed amendments that would have restricted constitutional birthright citizenship, eliminated protections for unaccompanied children, and granted DHS broad power to detain non-citizens for prolonged periods, among other harmful measures. Prior to reaching an agreement, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) had urged his Republican colleagues not to “destroy this human-trafficking legislation that is so important.” The Senate is scheduled to hold Lynch’s confirmation vote on Thursday.