House members surfaced on Friday New bipartisan national security bill That would strengthen security at the troubled U.S.-Mexico border and provide much-needed aid to Ukraine.
The Protect our Borders and Protect Democracy Act reinstates the Trump administration’s Remain in Mexico policy for one year and also allows border enforcement authorities to detain and immediately deport illegal aliens who do not meet the criteria to apply for asylum. enable.
The “Remain in Mexico” policy requires most migrants, who typically leave Central America or the Caribbean to reach the southern border, to remain in Mexico while their asylum claims are reviewed by U.S. courts. However, this policy requires cooperation from the Mexican government.
“Congress must secure our borders,” said Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), a co-sponsor of the bill.
“Reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy would address the SCOTUS ruling that this authority is discretionary.”
The bill, introduced by moderate members of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, would provide $66.32 billion in defense funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, up from the $95 billion passed by the Senate earlier this week. less than.
Specifically, the bill provides $47.69 billion for the defense of Ukraine, $10.4 billion for Israel’s defense systems, $4.91 billion for U.S. and allied deterrence efforts in the Indo-Pacific, and $2.4 billion for U.S. Central Command operations. Give 40 million dollars.
“Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan are all freedom-loving democracies and allies of ours, just as we protect our own borders,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania). We must help them protect their borders.” Lead sponsor of the bill.
“We can and must achieve all of the above.”
The bill was sponsored by Reps. Mike Lawler of New York, Don Bacon of Nebraska, and Lori Chavez Delemer of Oregon, as well as Marie Grusenkamp Perez of Washington and Jim Costa of California. It is also sponsored by Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat from Hawaii.
Meanwhile, the Senate bill, which does not involve immigration enforcement, was held up from a vote in the chamber by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who worked with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the bill, expressed “hope” Johnson would bring the bill to a floor vote. However, the Chairman responded as follows: Because the bill lacked border policy changes, the House would be left to “take matters into its own hands on these important issues.”
President Biden and Congressional Democrats are attacking House Republicans for holding hostage further aid to U.S. allies after an earlier $118 billion supplemental package that included border security items was also scrapped.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) indicated Tuesday that he was discussing the expulsion petition with members of Congress who support more funding for Ukraine in his conference.
Mr. Bacon was involved in the discussion on the discharge petition, but it remains unclear whether the unusual method will be used to propose a revised national security law.
Mr. Johnson and other Republicans initially objected to immigration provisions in the Senate bill, arguing that Mr. Biden, 81, already had the authority to enforce laws such as the Immigration and Nationality Act and secure the border.
More than 8.5 million immigrants have crossed the U.S. border since he took office, and more than 7 million have entered the southern border, according to Customs and Border Protection data.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recognized Texas Border Patrol agents last month, according to National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd.
An additional 1.8 million known “fugitives” evade arrest upon entering the country.
Grusenkamp Perez said the new bill would end “months of political favoritism and shifting goalposts” as record numbers of migrants reaching the southern border create a “growing humanitarian crisis.” He said he hopes to do so.
Under the House bill, Mayorkas, who was impeached on Tuesday for failing to enforce federal immigration laws, would be able to detain and immediately deport migrants to Mexico or their country of origin.
This includes immigrants who have been convicted of crimes in or outside the United States and who pose a risk to national security, but does not include immigrants with disabilities or acute medical conditions.
“Our porous borders and state-sponsored aggression pose an existential threat to the democratic world order and our country,” Lawlor said. “We cannot allow partisan divisions and gridlock to prevent us from tackling these challenges.”
Additionally, federal funds would be prohibited from assisting in the transfer of immigrants from detention facilities to other locations to have their asylum status determined.
Under former President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security rolled out the “Remain in Mexico” policy, also known as Migrant Protection Protocols, in January 2019.
The Biden administration quietly ended the program in August 2022 after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Department of Homeland Security had the authority not to enforce the program.
The question remains whether the bill strikes a sufficient compromise between the border security measures that House Republicans sought in last year’s signature measure, HR 2, and the foreign aid and humanitarian funding sought by House Democrats. It’s opaque.
Johnson, Jeffries and members of the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.
