February 7, 2024
By Andrew Sanders
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik criticized the establishment “border” bill, labeling it as an ineffective measure that would exacerbate the influx of illegal immigrants at the southern border.
She advocated for the passage of HR2, the Secure Our Border Act, which aims to restore the successful border policies implemented during the Trump administration.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green expressed opposition to any new agreement that fails to address the incentives for mass catch-and-release and illegal immigration created by Secretary Mayorkas.
“This Joe Biden/Chuck Schumer Open Border Bill is an absolute non-starter and will further incentivize thousands of illegals to pour in across our borders daily. House Republicans have already passed HR2 – the Secure Our Border Act, which would actually secure the border and return to the effective Trump policies with the most secure border in our nation’s history,” Stefanik wrote.
Both Stefanik and Green emphasized the need to enforce existing laws and secure the border effectively.
“While my staff and I are reviewing this legislation, I join Speaker Johnson in opposing any new agreement that fails to eliminate the perverse incentives Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas created through his unlawful agenda of mass catch-and-release and his refusal to remove those with no lawful basis to remain in the country,” Green wrote.
“In particular, I will vehemently oppose any agreement that legitimizes or normalizes any level of illegal immigration. Congress, with bipartisan majorities, has given the executive branch every authority it needs to enforce the law and secure the border.”
“Those majorities mandated the detention and removal of inadmissible aliens, with the use of parole under very limited and exceptional circumstances. Additional carveouts will only be further exploited by criminal cartels––and lawless officials like Secretary Mayorkas,” he said.
“We must end this historic border crisis––not by legislative ‘feel-good’ efforts, but by enforcing the law.”
