CARTEL Act of 2025

This bill would make border data more public and require regular reports about terrorist and criminal groups trying to enter the U.S. It tells U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to post monthly numbers on a public Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website. These numbers include encounters with people at the border (with nationalities), unique encounters, gang-linked arrests, drug seizures, arrests of people wanted by law enforcement, “known got-aways,” and encounters in the terrorist screening database and linked to transnational criminal organizations. It also requires extra details on how many people on the terrorist screening database and how many linked to transnational criminal organizations tried to cross repeatedly, how many were caught, and whether they were released into the U.S. or removed.

DHS would also have to send Congress an assessment within 90 days of the law taking effect, and then every year. This report would cover foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations that try to move members or affiliates into the U.S. through the southern, northern, or maritime border.

• Who is affected: CBP and DHS; the public who will see the data; communities along the border.
• What changes: Monthly posting of detailed border statistics on a public DHS website; annual reports to Congress about attempts by terrorist and criminal organizations to enter the U.S..
• When: Monthly posts by the 7th day of each month, starting the second full month after the law takes effect; first report to Congress within 90 days, then every year.