Last night, the Senate released the draft border security bill. To call it a fraud would be to engage in understatement. It offers little in the way of resources to improve security while taking the bill away from the rule of law and placing it firmly in Joe Biden's hands. Even if Biden were an ardent defender of the border, this new bill is designed to increase the flow of illegal aliens, not restrict it.
My colleague Bonchie posted on some of the flaws last night.
- Five thousand illegals per day, or 1.8 million per year, are allowed entry before an emergency can be declared.
- Work permits will be issued to illegals.
- The federal courts in DC have original and appellate authority, meaning federal courts in Texas can't hear cases about the bill.
- The emergency can be ignored if the president decides it isn't in our "national interests."
- There are limits on the number of days an emergency can be kept in place regardless of the number of illegals.
READ: The 'Border Security' Deal Is Utter Trash, but There's One Provision That Is Just Infuriating
America First Legal finds a lot more to hate.
- All families must be released from custody; only single individuals can be sent back.
- Unaccompanied minors don't count against the daily total
- It keeps all existing consent decrees in place, some of which prevent immigration laws from being enforced.
- It makes into law a controversial rule created by Biden that lets asylum officers, not immigration judges, rule on asylum claims...and it gives them a 15% raise.
- The Biden border team can "opt out" of the quota of any illegals that they think should be included.
- The bill sunsets in three years, and the maximum permissible number of "emergency" days each year decreases from 270 to 225 to 180.
- FEMA receives $1.4 billion in grants to provide shelters and immigration services. The bill also appropriates $36,000,000 for attorneys for illegals.
- Illegals entering the US after July 2021 automatically get "conditional permanent resident" status.
The first details of the border bill started leaking out in late January. They were ugly, though not as ugly as what emerged last night.
READ: The Details of Biden's Border Security Bill Show It Won't Work - and That's Probably the Plan
Oklahoma Senator James Lankford became the point man for the GOP faction negotiating this atrocity. He blamed the bad press on "internet" rumors.
Senator Lankford stands by the bill!
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 28, 2024
One of the best things to come out of this border debate is the DC Uniparty has admitted we have the logistical capability of closing the border. It's a choice to leave it open to invasion. We must keep emphasizing this point. pic.twitter.com/UUblyMhCkX
He denies explicitly the comment by Senator Ted Cruz (see 0:30, and you really should watch Cruz's rant on the subject).
Lankford talked to Fox News's Brian Kilmeade this morning about the bill and doubled down on his earlier statements.
Sen Lankford insists bill does not allow 5k people to enter in a day pic.twitter.com/90jkKXjcyj
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) February 5, 2024
Virtually nothing Lankford says in this interview is true. The 5,000 threshold allows Biden to close the border, but it doesn't require it. It doesn't turn away everyone, as unaccompanied minors and families are allowed to enter. The limit only applies for a maximum of 270 days. He refuses even to address why we can't apply this same standard for everyone every day or acknowledge that the only place the border is now secure is where the Texas National Guard is deployed.
Quite honestly, Lankford's position is utterly insane. This bill leaves the border no different than it is today, changes laws to make them more lenient, funds the chaos, and strips border states of the ability to effectively challenge this law in court.
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