Republican Party fights border and immigration law divide

With House Republicans winning a majority this year, they planned to quickly pass a border bill that would allow the secretary of homeland security to turn away migrants at the border. But the bill ran into a major snag: moderate opposition to the Republican Party.

The delay and controversy underscore how difficult it is for House Republican leaders to manage such a slim majority, even on bills that address issues that underpin the party’s main message.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-Lo.) in December included the Border Security Act in a list of 12 bills and resolutions that Republicans planned to pass in the first two weeks of Congress, sending them straight to the House of Representatives. floor, and not through the normal process as long as the committees were still organized.

the border bill would allow Homeland Security the secretary to refuse migrants in order to achieve “operational control” at the border. Republicans have repeatedly accused Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Majorcas of not upholding the legal standard of “operational control” at the border by failing to prevent illegal entry and smuggling.

The Security and Border Protection Act refers to the Secure Fencing Act of 2006, which defines operational control as “the prevention of all illegal entry into the United States, including the entry of terrorists, other illegal aliens, terrorist weapons, drugs, and other contraband.” “.

“That wording is ‘preventing all illegal entry into the United States, including terrorists, other illegal aliens, weapons of terror, drugs and other contraband’ – I think it’s very condescending to use the word ‘desirable’, I mean, it’s unrealistic.” “said Doris Meisner, former Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Services under former President Clinton, who now heads the US Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute.

This definition has been in the books since it was signed by former President George W. Bush, but has never been used as a real indicator of border security.

The bill’s restrictions on asylum are irritating some Republicans, likely enough Republicans to doom the proposal to failure.

Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas), who represents the county on the US-Mexico border, warned that the bill could prevent legitimate asylum applications.

“One thing is certain: HR 29, the Border Security and Safety Act, doesn’t provide border security, and it’s dead on arrival,” Gonzalez told What America Thinks.

“This bill is not going anywhere for a number of reasons. And I will do everything in my power to keep anti-immigrant legislation from going over the finish line,” added Gonzalez, co-chair of the 18-member Congressional Latin American Conference, Republican Caucus.

The GOP’s narrow majority in the House of Representatives means that any bill not supported by Democrats could be blocked if only five members oppose it. Even if it passes the House of Representatives, the bill will almost certainly die in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas), the bill’s main sponsor, said there was “misinformation” about the bill.

“Let me be clear. This law does one thing: it enforces the existing law that says that we must delay for the entire duration of the asylum application. Or turn away, as we do under the current Section 42 law during the pandemic,” Roy. said on PBS earlier this month.

“Tony [Gonzales] you should read the bill and familiarize yourself with the current legislation,” Roy said.

Roy told The Hill this week that almost everyone in the GOP House conference supported his bill. It has 64 co-founders.

But opponents within the party will at least force Roy to discuss the details of any asylum or border security bills.

“I will fight back,” Gonzalez said.

“Many of us in the House of Representatives — and not just Hispanic members — will oppose anti-immigrant legislation such as the Border Security and Safety Act, which has a big name but is inconsistent,” Gonzalez said.

As passage of the Border Security and Security Act stalled, House leadership is working with the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees on a larger border package it hopes to release later this year.

“We are developing a larger border security package, so the Legal Committee and the Homeland Security Committee are working right now … they are starting to work on a package that could secure our border,” Scalise said.d NewsNation last month.

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And, despite the internal split at Roy’s suggestion, it’s unlikely that any faction of Republicans will move down the aisle to the Democrats before exhausting their options inside.

“There is clearly a consensus among Republicans that before we do anything else, we need to secure the border. And that’s what we’re working on. So I’m very optimistic that we can reach a consensus on this issue,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), another Latin American conference co-chair.

The border bill is one of five stalled bills and resolutions from an initial list of 12 that House Republicans hoped to pass in the first few weeks, demonstrating how divisions at the GOP House conference challenge a slim majority.

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