While the anti-Trump media obsesses with their political narratives – in this case that Trump and Republicans want to defeat the Senate immigration bill so that the crisis goes on as a campaign issue favorable to the GOP.
The Democrats’ narrative is designed to further demonize Trump and distract from the really important question. Is the bipartisan bill produced in the Senate a good piece of legislation? Will it resolve or mitigate the expanding crisis at the border that has now metastasized throughout the nation in terms of drug deaths, crime and overburdening social welfare systems and infrastructure.
The Senate legislation appears to be a non-start. It becoming law is unlikely. The odds at the moment are against passage in the Senate — with those on both the right and the left expressing opposition. Speaker Johnson says it is dead on arrival in the House. That is a lot of opposition to overcome.
In anticipation of the Senate legislation, supporters were declaring it to be the strongest immigration bill in American history and best possible bill achievable. The first claim is factually untrue. The House actually passed HR2 and sent it to the Senate a year and a half ago – and Majority Leader Schumer buried it. It was far stronger than the Senate bill.
With regard to the best bill achievable. I suppose that could be true, but that does not mean it should be “achieved.” The Senate version has many of the same provisions as the HR2, but the Senate’s key provisions for controlling the number of folks crossing the border illegally do not resolve the crisis. It enshrines the problem into law.
According to the Senate Bill, Homeland Security MAY shut the border if 4000 or more migrants cross for 7 days in a row. Note: That is a “may.” Do you believe the Biden administration would close the border if they were not required to do so by law? Oh! We know the answer to that. We have a law that makes crossing the border outside of entry points a felony –and we all know how well that law is being enforced.
The Senate bill does require closing of the border if 5000 or more migrants cross in a consecutive 7-day period. That provision uses the mandatory word “shall.” The Senate Bill also requires the border to be closed if 8500 or more migrants cross in a single day.
So, how will the Biden administration shut the border it has to do so? According to the Senate Bill, there are several actions that would be taken.
- The Department of Homeland security would cease to process asylum claims at the border – except (get ready) except for those eligible for humanitarian parole or have a so-called “credible” fear of persecution or torture. That does not look, sound or smell like a shutdown, but maybe a temporary slowdown.
- The DHS would stop issuing visas and other immigration benefits to applicants who are still in Mexico or Canada – unless they qualify for an exception (another exception) or waiver.
- The DHS would “expedite” the deportation of migrants apprehended at or near the border without a hearing – unless (here we go again) they express a fear of returning or have a valid claim to U.S. citizenship. (Hmm. How many illegal border crossers have a valid claim to U.S. citizenship?)
- The DHS would deploy additional personnel, technology and infrastructure to secure the border and deter illegal crossings (except the ones they allow.)
The devil may be in the details, but none of those Senate provisions come close to the claim of closing down the border even when the prescribed limits are reached.
And if they do implement the aforementioned provisions when the limits are crossed, how long does the border stay closed? A so-called border shutdown would last until the number of illegal crossings falls below the 5,000 limit for 14 consecutive days. WHOA! The border crossing would have to run below the 5,000 limit for 14 days before the border can be re-opened. So, we could have 4,999 migrants illegally crossing the border for 14 days while it is closed – and that would justify re-opening the border?
It is not clear how long the border would be somewhat closed in the case of a one-day 8,500 surge. And in that case would the border only be closed the next day if another 8,500 crossed. And if 8,500 crossed in one day, could up to 5,000 cross the next day? More devil in the details.
What can be said, however, is that the limits in the Senate Bill are ridiculously high and the claim of shutting the border is … well … bullsh*t. The Senate Bill does not solve or mitigate the border crisis, it merely locks it in at crisis level numbers. Remember, it was President Obama’s head of Homeland security who said that 1000 illegal border crosses per day is a crisis. And the Senator thinks 5,000 or 8,500 is a SOLUTION to the crisis.
Forget about the rest of the Bill – even popular and common-sense provisions. Forget about the left’s anti-Trump narrative. These numbers would turn a crisis into a permanent on-going disaster. They are consistent with Biden’s and the Democrats’ open border policies.
Yes, it is a pity that Congress missed another opportunity to pass meaningful immigration reform, but that is no reason to pass a bad bill.
So, there ‘tis.