TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The U.S. Senate border bill text has been released publicly after months of negotiations.
The border section of the national security deal would change American border policy significantly and cost over $20 billion.
One of the major changes would be making it more difficult for migrants to pass initial asylum screenings.
Independent Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema was one of the main negotiators on the bill and spoke to the media over the phone on Sunday evening about the text.
"Individuals in detention will receive a strengthened initial asylum interview," Sinema said. "They will have to prove at a higher standard than in the past that they are fleeing violence and persecution. If they don't meet this higher standard they will be immediately removed from the country."
The bill also will attempt to make the asylum claims process only take 90 days, and would suspend asylum screenings for a period of time if border crossings exceed five thousand a day.
Sinema also said migrants who dont meet the asylum qualifications would be quickly removed from the U.S.
Democratic Arizona Senator Mark Kelly released a statement shortly after the bill's text was made public saying he will review the bill closely.
"Although there is still more Congress must do to fix our broken immigration system, I urge my colleagues to not let politics get in the way of addressing this problem," Kelly said in a press release.
A vote on the bill in the Senate could come this week.