Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma called a leaked draft border and immigration agreement that would reportedly allow 5,000 immigrants per day into the United States a “lie.”
“While the truth will be powerful, lies will spread throughout the world.'' Lankford Posted in X he said Saturday, quoting British Baptist pastor Charles Spurgeon.
“I encourage people to read the Border Security Bill before they judge it. I also advise people not to believe everything they read on the internet,” he added.
Mr. Lankford, himself a former Baptist minister, negotiated the terms of a final border security deal in the Senate as part of a $106 billion national security grant that includes money for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. There is.
A record number of more than 276,000 asylum seekers entered the United States from Mexico and were apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in December, according to preliminary data obtained by Fox News.
On January 11, the conservative Immigrant Responsibility Project leaked a draft bill that appears to increase the amount of green cards awarded to 50,000 per year, with the number of new arrivals exceeding 5,000 per day in seven days. It emphasized a provision that allows immigrants to be expelled only in certain cases.
The bill would also grant work permits to illegal aliens released from U.S. custody and provide “taxpayer-funded legal counsel” to unaccompanied minors and immigrants deemed mentally incompetent. It is being
Additionally, granting work permits to the adult children of H-1B visa holders allows employers to temporarily hire nonimmigrant aliens for specialized jobs that typically require a bachelor's degree or equivalent. is recognized.
It also includes some restrictions on the government's ability to grant parole to immigrants who pass through U.S. ports of entry without authorization.
Three hours before Lankford's post, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had rejected the terms of the deal based on the leak.
Johnson: “Absolutely not'' Posted in X In response to the.
“Good answer,” answered Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced a resolution to impeach President Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Senate Republicans are working with Chuck Schumer on a secret 'deal' with Amnesty International on work permits for illegal immigrants,” said Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.). is also published.
“I vote against the Senate Republicans' amnesty and surrender deal. Secure our borders, deport, and impeach! Put America first!”
Lankford worked on drafting the bill with Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) during the federal holidays in December and January.
None of the senators immediately responded to requests for comment on the leak, which The Post could not independently verify.
If accurate, the deal would put House Republicans at odds with senators, who are under pressure from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to “accept the deal.” . Punch Bowl News reported.
Meanwhile, Johnson and House Republicans are holding firm on HR 2, the border security bill they passed last year as their flagship immigration legislation.
The House speaker said in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt last week that the bill is a return to several policies of the Trump administration and that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) He noted that a vote was almost certainly not on the table.
The bill included reforms to asylum applications, including an end to the “catch-and-release” policy for immigrants awaiting court hearings and a return to the Migrant Protection Protocols, which forces them to remain south of the border. .
“Last week, I took 64 House Republicans to Eagle Pass, the epicenter, to see it for themselves,” Johnson told Hewitt. “It's an utter disaster. So we need to restore policies that work.”
Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations at the Immigrant Responsibility Project, said: told the Washington Times There is nothing in the deal to stop the record number of migrants entering the country in recent months.
In 2023, a total of 3.2 million migrants were encountered. CBP reportedThis is roughly equivalent to 3,667,758 births in the United States.
At least 2.4 million of the migrant apprehensions occurred at the southern border.
Mayorkas also privately acknowledged that more than 85% of those detainees have since been released into the country, Fox News also reported.
