WASHINGTON—Heritage Action President Dr. Kevin Roberts penned a new op-ed today warning lawmakers that the Senate’s immigration deal “as reported, is a backroom political ploy that would make permanent Biden’s tools for causing chaos and an open border.”
The op-ed, co-authored by former Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tom Homan and former Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Mark Morgan, details why the policies in the deal released so far would exacerbate the crisis and should be rejected by conservatives in Congress.
Excerpts of the op-ed are below and the full piece can be seen here.
“On the heels of the worst month ever recorded at our southern border, a Senate deal is being quietly negotiated by Republican lawmakers. Desperate to secure more money for Ukraine, they are attempting to mollify public concern over the chaos that has reigned at the border since President Biden took office three years ago.”
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“The reported deal does not stop the border crisis that Biden has created, and which he could end tomorrow with a stroke of his pen. In fact, this deal would make matters worse — all while giving Biden and sanctuary jurisdictions political and financial gifts.”
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“The deal also contains deceptive provisions that appear to toughen enforcement, but would actually have the opposite effect. For example, the deal claims to make detention mandatory for single adult males, even though current law already provides for the mandatory detention of all individuals who enter illegally, which the Biden administration of course refuses to execute.”
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“Late last week, Republican negotiators were rightfully met with outrage from constituents, colleagues and issue experts. The deal was on the brink of collapse. But instead of taking a hard look in the mirror and uniting behind the strong, House-passed Secure the Border Act, McConnell shifted the blame to former President Donald Trump. He handed the Biden White House and Senate Democrats a helpful talking point, apparently out of spite.
“So Republicans supposedly walked away from a strong, bipartisan deal (or so they claim) that would end the crisis, just so that Trump could run on the issue this fall? Nonsense.
“Biden and his supporters have parrotted this narrative, but the truth is that he can end this crisis he created any time he wants. He need only enforce current law and bring back the effective policies issued by his predecessor.
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“The negotiated deal, as reported, is a backroom political ploy that would make permanent Biden’s tools for causing chaos and an open border. It would give him billions of dollars more to continue funding an unlimited illegal immigration agenda. The American people will not be fooled by this.”
Due to the catastrophe at the border caused by the Biden administration, the number of Americans who support tougher immigration restrictions has been steadily increasing. Three-fourths of Americans—a bipartisan majority—now believe the situation at the border is ‘a crisis’ or ‘very serious,’ while only 7% view it as ‘not much of a problem.’
Heritage Action strongly supports H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, as the only solution to securing the border and ending the Biden-designed chaos that’s exacerbating the drug, crime, and cost of living crises facing the country.
BACKGROUND:
The Heritage Foundation: Understanding the Senate’s Supplemental Budget Bill
Heritage Action: Conservatives Should Oppose the Senate’s Unserious Supplemental Package
The Daily Signal: Concerns About Proposed Senate Border Security Compromise: The BorderLine
Heritage Action: H.R. 2 is the Only Solution to Securing the Border