Senator Rick Scott and Representative Carlos Giménez introduced companion bills on Friday that would permit U.S. immigration officials to access reports from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children when evaluating visa applicants. The legislation, dubbed the Strengthen Checks for Reliable Evaluation of Entrants Nationwide Act, seeks to add the Departments of State and Homeland Security to the limited list of federal agencies authorized to receive such information. Currently, the CyberTipline — the nation’s central repository for reports of online child exploitation — may be shared only with designated law enforcement entities conducting investigations. Under the proposed change, immigration authorities could consult these reports as part of routine screening and vetting processes.

Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina has signed on as a co-sponsor of Scott’s version, while Representatives Aaron Bean and Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida support Giménez’s counterpart. Lawmakers argue the measure would close a systemic gap that allows individuals accused of child sexual offenses to potentially enter the country through work visas, particularly those tied to maritime employment. The push comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign cruise ship workers who entered the U.S. on C-1/D visas following allegations of possessing or distributing child sexual abuse material. In May, Customs and Border Protection revoked the visas of 27 individuals, most from the Philippines, after determining they had engaged in prohibited conduct. Disney Cruise Line terminated several employees in connection with the case, though the company noted most workers were not involved.

Federal authorities are not required to secure a criminal conviction to revoke a visa, a fact that has drawn criticism from immigrant advocacy groups concerned about due process and transparency. While the Department of Justice has not released detailed findings from the operation, advocates have called for greater disclosure of evidence and procedural safeguards.

The scale of available data is substantial. In 2025, the CyberTipline logged 21.3 million reports encompassing 61.8 million files, with over 77% linked to suspected exploitation originating outside the United States. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children currently shares actionable reports with law enforcement but does not routinely provide them to immigration or diplomatic agencies. Scott and Giménez’s proposal would formalize interagency data exchange specifically for visa and border screening purposes.

Both bills are awaiting referral to their respective congressional committees for further review. No hearings have been scheduled to date. The legislation reflects a broader effort to strengthen coordination between child protection systems and immigration enforcement, though its prospects remain subject to debate over jurisdictional boundaries and civil liberties considerations.