Fox’s first appearance: Top Republican senators are pushing to block a controversial program that would give ID cards to illegal immigrants as early as this summer.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) announced the “Prohibition of Taxpayer Funding for Illegal Immigrant Identification Act”, which would prohibit federal funds from going into the ICE Secure Docket Card program and similar programs. ” has been introduced.
The ICE Secure Docket Card program was first reported in 2022, with Fox News Digital reporting last week that ICE plans to roll out the program on a limited basis this summer, handing out about 10,000 cards.The agency stressed that the plan is “undecided” and could still change, but the cards are expected to be issued in three or four locations in the United States.
Taxpayer-funded ID program for illegal immigrants set to begin this summer
Image shows the ICE Secure Docket Card program. (Fox News)
The agency said the program “updates the documentation provided to some noncitizens,” but stressed that it is not an official form of federal identification.
“While card details and pilots are in development, it is important to note that the secure card is not an official form of federal identification,” the agency said. “The secure card indicates that it will be used by a DHS agency and will only be provided after a national security background check is conducted.”
But the plan faces Republican opposition, and lawmakers have consistently opposed it.
Leaked images show the Biden administration’s planned ICE ID cards for illegal immigrants
The image shows the ICE Secure Docket Card program. (Fox News)
Hawley’s bill would also require the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general to report on costs associated with programs and similar programs that illegally issue cards to people in the country.
“Joe Biden opened the borders and ushered in an era of unprecedented turmoil in the United States. And now, rather than get the crisis under control, he is trying to fund ID cards for illegal aliens. We want to spend Americans’ money,” Hawley said in a statement to FOX News Digital.
“Enough is enough. Biden should deport illegal immigrants, secure our borders, deny them identification, and make it easier for them to receive taxpayer benefits.”
ICE defended the program, saying it makes it easier for authorities to verify identities through the DHS system.
ICE development program to give ID cards to illegal immigrants as border crisis intensifies
“By moving to secure cards, the agency will save millions of dollars, free up resources, give DHS employees faster access to information, and reduce the agency’s FOIA backlog. “We can do that,” the spokesperson said. “For provisionally released noncitizens, digital modernization provides continued access to important immigration documents through secure cards and connected portals.”
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Meanwhile, the administration is proposing federal rules that would allow authorities to deport people determined to pose a threat to national security or public safety early in the asylum process.
But Hawley’s request comes a day after it was revealed that a Colombian national wanted on charges of aggravated murder in his home country in November was released into the United States and arrested by ICE agents in Massachusetts earlier this month. Submitted to.
Get the latest information on the ongoing border crisis from Fox News Digital’s Immigration Hub.
