special: A broad coalition of border hawks and former Trump administration officials is demanding that House Republicans act quickly to pass a stronger border security bill to end the migrant crisis, keeping their campaign promises and “commitment to the U.S. ” maintain – which they say is the only one. A first step towards the necessary reforms.
A letter first obtained by the Heritage Foundation, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the America First Policy Institute, Numbers USA, and other conservative groups urged the GOP House majority to “commit to America.” Requested to start implementation. And, in particular, end the Biden border crisis.”
“During the final months of the 117th Congress, you made an unwavering commitment to ‘securing the border and combating illegal immigration’ and ‘eliminating loopholes in apprehension and release,'” the coalition said Tuesday morning. wrote to lawmakers, citing the Republican agenda released by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in the days before the 2022 midterm elections.
“The time for action is now,” he insists. “The 118th Congress cannot resort to mere redistribution of resources — laws must actually be changed to close the loopholes that the Biden administration has weaponized. This necessarily means that our asylum system Mass abuse should be eradicated.”
Immigration hawks, former Trump officials urge GOP leaders to unite behind ‘flagship’ bill to end border crisis
President Biden speaks with a member of the U.S. Border Patrol as they walk along the U.S.-Mexico border fence on January 8, 2023 in El Paso, Texas. (Jaime Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Key Trump administration officials who signed the letter include President Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, former acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan, Former Acting Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Tom Homan, and former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott.
Mike Howell of the Heritage Foundation said these former officials and conservative groups are ready to unite behind Republican-led efforts to reform the country’s broken asylum system and end illegal immigration.
“The Biden administration deliberately opened our borders knowing chaos would ensue. Americans are sick of death, drugs, and crime crossing our borders. A catastrophe of this magnitude demands an immediate legislative response.” It does,” Howell said. “The majority of the House pledged to end the border crisis and the vast majority of members remained steadfast in delivering on that commitment.”
Read the letter of unity below. App users: Click here.
Representative. Roy introduced a bill to crack down on illegal immigrants as the House GOP pushed back on the border
The groups behind the letter stand behind legislation introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, which they say is a “common sense” first step to securing the border. The opinion bill, HR 29, the Border Safety and Security Act, would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to remove illegal immigrants who present themselves at the border “during any period when DHS Cannot detain the individual or return the individual to a foreign country.”
HR 29 is designed to relieve pressure on detention centers along the southern border and prevent the mass release of immigrants into the United States. According to CBP, a total of more than 2 million immigrants were encountered at the southern border in fiscal year 2022, the most on record, and more than 700,000 immigrants were encountered at the border in the first three months of fiscal year 2023. happened on In December alone, CBP encountered 251,487 people trying to enter the U.S. along the Southwest border, a 40% increase over the number encountered that month last year.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, leaves for a vote on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Roy has introduced the Border Safety and Security Act, which would have given the Department of Homeland Security the ability to deport immigrants. will need to be detained. Present yourself at the border instead of releasing them. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is seen outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday, June 24, 2022. Gonzales is a leading opponent of HR 29, arguing that the bill would effectively bar legal asylum claims by non-U.S. residents. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Every member of the Texas delegation signed on except for the Texas border plan — which includes language requiring the secretary to detain or detain instead of encounter and release — because they know the policy of release. “To continue is to empower the cartel, perpetuate the abuse of immigrants. And put Texas at risk,” Roy said.
However, some Republican lawmakers have criticized his bill. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said HR 29 would effectively “ban legitimate asylum claims” and called the bill “unchristian” and “anti-American.” Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., who supports immigration reform, told The Washington Post she would not vote for the bill.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a moderate Republican, has urged HR 29 to return to the Homeland Security Committee for reconsideration. Resistance to the Heritage Foundation’s calls And fast-track the bill to a vote on the other House floor.
“My primary goal is to pass this bill in committee and in order, so that all members of the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees can review and improve it as needed,” Bacon said. told. “Some critics have said the bill could shut down asylum applications altogether. I don’t believe that’s the case, which is why this bill needs to go through the formal process. This new majority has formally agreed upon order and we must not. Deviate from it in the first few weeks of this new Congress.”
Immigration hawks press GOP leaders to ‘take all necessary steps’ to stop lame-duck amnesty push
A Fox News poll showing who voters think is responsible for the state of the border. (Fox News Polls)
With their narrow majority in the House, Republicans can only afford to lose a handful of votes if they hope to push any legislation through the House. Coalition groups see the failure to pass border security legislation this year as a betrayal of the “America of Commitment” agenda endorsed by every Republican, including those who oppose the Border Safety and Security Act.
“Through their bold ‘Commitment’ to America,” House Republicans promised to resolve the border crisis once they got control, including a handful of members, said government relations chief RJ Homan. who now oppose a narrow, joint border security bill.” and communications for FAIR. “Our call to members in opposition is clear: be a team player and deliver on a clear, conference-wide campaign promise. Work together to tackle the border crisis, not be complicit.”
Bacon, who has said he supports border security reforms but wants to show empathy for asylum seekers, insisted he is being a “team player” by listening to the concerns of his colleagues, including Gonzales, who has the most miles of border in its district.
“It’s a simple concept. Pass the bill in order to address the concerns of the rest of the team,” Bacon said. “True conservatives respect the regular order, and we fought to make that a reality in this Congress.”
He added, “Many people who want to speed it up have campaigned to return to the regular order when considering bills. Are we like the Democrats last session — ‘for you and not for me?’ ?’ – or are we going to practice what we preach?”
Representatives also reached the offices of Gonzales and Salazar for comment but did not receive a response.
Read full article here