Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to push forward the House’s H.R. 2 immigration stabilization bill in an effort to secure the American border. This comes as President Joe Biden faces mounting pressure to address the open-borders policy that has led to a surge of illegal immigration and its associated problems.
The bill, which was originally drafted in May, is a combination of legislation from the House Homeland Security, Judiciary, and Foreign Affairs Committees. It aims to resume construction on the border wall, allocate funding for bonuses for U.S. Border Patrol agents, and withhold federal funding from NGOs that provide aid to illegal migrants. The bill also calls for reforms to the asylum process and the implementation of E-Verify, a system that checks employment eligibility.
Since its passing, public opinion has shifted against Biden’s border policy, partly due to recent Hamas attacks in Israel that have highlighted the chaos and diversity present in American cities and universities. This shift has put Democrats in a difficult position, as their base is divided between progressives who oppose any restrictions on immigration and donors who fear the consequences of uncontrolled borders.
The border crisis is a direct result of failed policy decisions by the Biden Admin – not a lack of funding.
HR 2 would:
-Finish the wall
-End catch and release
-End abuse of parole authority
-Reform the broken asylum system
-Restart Remain in Mexico pic.twitter.com/8XZdqJih5x— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) November 3, 2023
In an effort to address these concerns, Democrats are currently in the process of drafting a concession that they hope will allow the GOP to approve more funding for their border policy. The proposed compromise would tweak a regulation known as the “credible fear standard,” which currently requires migrants seeking asylum to demonstrate a “significant possibility” of persecution, torture, or fear in their home country. The intent of this change would be to reduce the number of migrants who qualify for asylum, thus slowing the flow of illegal immigration.
However, the White House has denied any plans to make this deal, as they face pressure from business groups and immigration organizers who have been critical of the proposal.
Meanwhile, Republican leadership, led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. James Lankford, are signaling a willingness to work out a compromise on border security. However, they have made it clear that any compromise must include significant border security measures, such as those outlined in the House’s H.R. 2 bill.
This position has been met with opposition from establishment Republicans, who typically prefer to focus on the chaos at the border rather than the economic impacts of unchecked immigration. In an effort to address this issue, Sen. Lankford has proposed significant reforms to the “Withholding” system, which has allowed thousands of fraudulent asylum seekers into the country.
Lankford has also criticized the administration’s handling of approximately 70,000 immigrants from terror-prone countries and its approach to the crisis in Venezuela, which aims to reduce illegal immigration by granting amnesty to illegal migrants.
Despite these concerns, a portion of the GOP caucus remains in favor of allowing legal immigration. Some members have called for substantial policy changes to address the border crisis, such as reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy.
Ultimately, the fate of the House’s H.R. 2 bill and the broader issue of border security rests in the hands of the minority party. As border arrests hit record highs and the administration continues to struggle with containing the chaos at the border, it remains to be seen whether Republicans will be able to garner enough support to pass meaningful immigration reform.