[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 353 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 353
Requesting information on the Republic of Costa Rica's human rights
practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2025
Mr. Kaine submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Requesting information on the Republic of Costa Rica's human rights
practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON COSTA RICA'S HUMAN RIGHTS
PRACTICES.
(a) Statement Requested.--The Senate requests that the Secretary of
State, not later than 30 days after the date of the adoption of this
resolution, submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives,
pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2304(c)), a statement regarding Costa Rica's human rights
practices that has been prepared in collaboration with the Assistant
Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the
Office of the Legal Adviser at the Department of State.
(b) Elements.--The statement submitted pursuant to subsection (a)
should include--
(1) all available credible information concerning alleged
violations of internationally recognized human rights by the
Government of Costa Rica, including--
(A) arbitrary and unlawful arrest, detention,
imprisonment, torture and cruel or inhumane treatment,
including of people who are not citizens of Costa Rica
but have been removed to Costa Rica by the United
States Government;
(B) violations of due process rights, including a
description of any opportunity provided to people who
are not citizens of Costa Rica but have been removed to
Costa Rica by the United States Government to
demonstrate that they have been wrongfully arrested,
detained, or imprisoned;
(C) enforced disappearances and arbitrary or
unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings,
including of people who are not citizens of Costa Rica
but have been removed to Costa Rica by the United
States Government;
(D) trafficking in persons, including forced or
slave labor, including of people who are not citizens
of Costa Rica but have been removed to Costa Rica by
the United States Government; and
(E) treatment of and legal rights and status
provided by the Government of Costa Rica to people in
Costa Rica who are not citizens of Costa Rica but have
been removed to Costa Rica by the United States
Government;
(2) a description of the steps the United States Government
has taken--
(A) to promote respect for and observance of human
rights as part of the Government of Costa Rica's
activities;
(B) to discourage any practices that are inimical
to internationally recognized human rights;
(C) to publicly or privately call attention to, and
disassociate the United States and any security
assistance provided for the Government of Costa Rica
from, any practices described in subparagraph (B); and
(D) to assess, prior to removal, how the Government
of Costa Rica would treat people who are not citizens
of Costa Rica but have been removed to Costa Rica by
the United States Government, including--
(i) conducting individualized assessments
of such individuals to determine whether the
Government of Costa Rica may send that person
to their country of origin or last residence,
and if so, whether the Government of Costa Rica
would provide them with meaningful opportunity
before their removal to show that they may be
persecuted, tortured, or otherwise harmed; and
(ii) ensuring that the Government of Costa
Rica would provide such individuals with legal
immigration status, should they wish to remain
in Costa Rica, and would be treated humanely;
and
(3) other information, including--
(A) an assessment from the Secretary of State of
the likelihood that United States security assistance
(as defined in section 502B(d) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d))) provided to
Costa Rica could be used in support of activities by
government officials related to the rendition,
trafficking, detention, or imprisonment of people who
are not citizens of Costa Rica but have been removed to
Costa Rica by the United States Government;
(B) any analysis conducted by the United States
Government of the conditions to be faced in Costa Rica
by people who are not citizens of Costa Rica but have
been removed to Costa Rica by the United States
Government, prior to the rendition, removal,
trafficking, detention, or imprisonment of such
individuals to Costa Rica;
(C) an assessment from the Secretary of State of
the conditions in any detention centers or prisons in
Costa Rica that may hold people who are not citizens of
Costa Rica but have been removed to Costa Rica by the
United States Government, including an assessment of
allegations of torture and other gross violations of
human rights;
(D) a description of any actions that the United
States Government is taking to ensure that the
Government of Costa Rica returns people who are not
citizens of Costa Rica but have been removed to Costa
Rica by the United States Government, in compliance
with United States court orders regarding their return
to the United States;
(E) a description of any actions that the United
States Government is taking to address the risk of
detention, torture, or forced disappearances of people
who are not citizens of Costa Rica but have been
removed to Costa Rica by the United States Government,
or efforts to facilitate the detention, torture, or
forced disappearances of such people;
(F) a description of any actions the United States
Government is taking to protect people who are not
citizens of Costa Rica but are within the United States
jurisdiction or effective control from unlawful
rendering, trafficking, or other means of removal to
Costa Rica;
(G) all information regarding any agreement or
financial transaction between the United States
Government and the Government of Costa Rica related to
the rendition, removal, trafficking, detention, or
imprisonment of individuals who are not citizens of
Costa Rica but have been removed to Costa Rica by the
United States Government;
(H) all information regarding any individuals sent
to Costa Rica by the United States Government in 2025;
(I) a description of any actions that the United
States Government is taking to facilitate the release
or return of people who are not citizens of Costa Rica
but have been wrongfully removed to Costa Rica by the
United States Government;
(J) all information regarding any assurances the
United States Government sought or received regarding
the treatment of people who are not citizens of Costa
Rica but have been removed to Costa Rica by the United
States Government, prior to the rendition, removal, or
trafficking of such individuals to Costa Rica;
(K) all information regarding assurances the United
States Government sought or received regarding the
further rendition, trafficking, removal, or transfer of
people who are not citizens of Costa Rica but have been
removed to Costa Rica by the United States Government
to countries that are not Costa Rica, including the
human rights conditions for such individuals in those
countries; and
(L) a summary of all meetings in 2025 between
Government of Costa Rica officials and Washington-based
officials of the United States Government.
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