Influential House Democrats whose districts run along the southern border have called for expanding the impact on illegal immigration, ending “catch-and-release,” and increasing the Biden administration's push for Mexico in the ongoing immigration crisis. He said there was a need to further intensify the pressure.
“I think the asylum laws, the criteria for bringing people into the country, can be adjusted. I think Part 1, Part 2, Title VIII should be enforced,” Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar said in an interview with Fox. ” he said. News Digital, referring to regular border authorities.
“Even without changing the asylum criteria, there are enough provisions in Title VIII to get the job done, including expedited expulsion. So it absolutely has to have an impact at the border.” he said.
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Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) speaks during a press conference about rising suicide rates at the U.S. Border Patrol at the Capitol on Dec. 7, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Cuellar, a moderate Democrat, has been a key bipartisan voice in finding solutions to the ongoing crisis that has engulfed the region since 2021 and the moves the Biden administration has taken to address the crisis. often disagree with some aspects of
Congress is debating a request for additional funding from the White House, including $14 billion for increased processing, aid to states and expedited removals. But Republicans want stricter asylum restrictions, more deportations and limits on releasing migrants into the interior.
But Cuellar also said one thing was missing from the general border discussion: the need to put more pressure on Mexico to stop the flow north.
“We have to keep the pressure on Mexico. Mexico slows down and strands people at the southern border. Then of course there will be fewer people at the border,” he said, later adding . The pressure must be “constant, constant, constant.”
He stressed that “catch and release” remains a draw factor for many immigrants. FOX News recently reported that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said more than 85% of immigrants are being released into the United States. More than 300,000 migrants were encountered at the border in December, a new record. In all of 2023, we encountered more than 2.4 million migrants.
A group of migrants walk toward a van as hundreds of migrants gather along the border in Lukeville, Arizona, Dec. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“When you encounter millions of humans a year and then bring hundreds of thousands of humans into the country, that's a pull factor. Catch-and-release, where people are released into the United States, is a pull factor. That's what I'm saying.'' Cuellar said.
Cuéllar also advised the White House on how to respond to the crisis.
“If I were giving advice to the president, I would say to the American people, 'There's an immigration crisis at the border, we're going to deal with it. I'm going to work with Democrats and Republicans. We're going to solve it. 'It's done. I'm working on it,' he said.
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“And make sure you remove the catch-and-release pull factor and wait until five or six years before you go to an immigration judge to let people in,” he said, citing overwhelming statistics. Stated. He would eventually be denied asylum. “So why do we allow hundreds of thousands of users in when most of them will ultimately be rejected?”
He said a border wall would not work in the Texas area because the river is the border. So by the time migrants reach the wall, they are already in the country and can apply for asylum. He also said adding more Border Patrol agents is not the answer without changes to catch-and-release.
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“You can add another 1,000, 2,000 people, but without the right policies, you're going to have more people helping manage and process people. That's not what the Border Patrol should be doing,” he said. said.
The Biden administration claims it has removed more illegal immigrants than in fiscal year 2019, pointing to an increase in removals since May. She also mentioned resuming direct flights to Venezuela, in a move that would widen the impact of illegal immigration. He also praised Mexico for resuming flights to Venezuela.
