• Former government officials with border security experience have criticized a proposed Senate deal to curb illegal immigration, saying President Joe Biden is trying to shirk responsibility for his policies.
• Officials say the deal doesn't work and that Biden already has the authority to meaningfully curb illegal immigration, but is failing to do so.
• Simon Hankinson, a former U.S. consulate official, told the Daily Caller News Foundation, “Biden will only get serious about the border issue in his third year in office because the White Star Line will be at sea after leaving Belfast.'' It would be the same as getting serious about safety.”

Several former Department of Homeland Security officials believe the border security reform bill currently being negotiated in the Senate does not work and is being used by the Biden administration to evade responsibility for the policy.

The text of this agreement has not yet been released to the public, but reportedly A limit of 5,000 people per day, averaged over a two-week period, on the processing of foreign migrants entering Mexico by illegally crossing the border with Mexico, according to multiple reports on its contents. has been established. If the average number of immigrants admitted exceeds that threshold, all immigration processing will be suspended for at least two weeks until the average for the next two weeks falls to 3,750, and all immigrants arriving during that time will be immediately expelled from the United States. will be done. (Related: Denver cracks down after accepting more immigrants per capita than anywhere else)

The agreement has been attacked by former officials and experts at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversaw border policy, who spoke to the Daily Caller News Foundation. They argue that the policy does not meaningfully reduce U.S. admissions of immigrants and that it is being used politically by President Joe Biden to blame Republicans for the increased influx of immigrants, which is due to the president's policies. It is claimed that there is.

BREAKING: Details on the Senate border deal, according to a source I just called.

– Mandatory detention of all single adults.

– Forcibly “close” borders when the average number of daily encounters with migrants reaches 5,000. Importantly, this 5,000 number includes the 1,400 CBP One app…

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 27, 2024

“I think the idea of ​​negotiations at this point is a little ridiculous in the sense that the Biden administration has shown no interest in securing the border over the last three years,” said Chad Wolf, former acting secretary of Homeland Security. Told. DCNF. “So why are they suddenly showing interest now? … If they were really serious about border security, they have spent the last three years using existing authorities to do so.” I would have.”

“Now they're just shifting the blame back to Congress… They blame it on the Trump administration, they blame Congress. They blame it on everyone but their own policies. “We will do that,” Wolf said. “I am the only [out] It's about negotiating very sensitive immigration laws that only a few people understand and no one really knows how they operate. ”

Wolf's comments were echoed by other former officials, who also believe the leaked provisions are unlikely to be meaningful in their effectiveness. Simon Hankinson, a former U.S. consular official and senior immigration fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said, “Biden will become more serious about the border issue in his third year in office because he will have to deal with the border issue after the White Star Line leaves Belfast.'' It would be the same as getting serious about safety.” , to DCNF.

“Senators will likely codify or strengthen the very open border tools that Biden has used to achieve his unlimited illegal immigration policy: illegal mass parole, work permits, and asylum fraud. , unaccompanied alien children, and catch-and-release,” Lora Reese said. She is a former Chief of Staff for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration Attorney for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) DCNF. “Senators should not be fooled by Biden's statements that he will use proposed new powers. He has current authority to resolve the border chaos he has caused…in an election year. Can you believe what he says now? No way.”

Biden's immigrants are camping on New York City sidewalks as they wait in lines for days for free public services.

The city is literally on the brink of bankruptcy and Biden is nowhere to be found.

Where is Joe Biden?!
pic.twitter.com/hxfgbKS6Kh

— Nick Sorter (@nicksortor) November 28, 2023

Reese noted that the deal would send money to large cities run by Democrats to ease the burden of admitting immigrants they receive under an initiative run by the state of Texas. Operation Lone Star, bussing migrants to self-proclaimed sanctuary cities. “Biden intends to support it.” [the deal] That's because he desperately needs more money to pay back sanctuary cities to improve optical facilities in major cities, including Chicago, site of this summer's Democratic National Convention,” Reese noted. . (Related: Senate border deal could override provisions that democratic cities have been demanding for immigration relief)

The deal would reportedly require the detention of all single adult immigrants who arrive in the United States illegally, in addition to the 5,000-person-per-day standard. The government will also be given new powers to remove migrants who apply for asylum despite not having a valid claim, within six months, as opposed to the current one-year hold for delinquency. It will be decided.

“With 5,000 illegal immigrants per day, we are adding 2 million more people per year to the country who are not legal immigrants,” Hankinson wrote. Regarding deletion rights, he was pessimistic: For three years, the administration has deliberately sought to avoid enforcing immigration laws in the interior. Did they suddenly change their mind? Is this an adjustment to the Credible Fear standard?'' he said.

“President Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security said 1,000 arrests per day is a crisis. [reporting about the deal] This is accurate, and the Senate agrees with the level of illegal immigration that cripples the immigration system,” attorney and former USCIS policy director Robert Roe wrote to DCNF.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly indicated that his chamber is unlikely to support the deal given what was reported. For a variety of reasons, some congressional Democrats, particularly Hispanic members of Congress, are demanding that Biden not concede to Republicans on removal powers, since most of the immigrants removed are Hispanic or Latino. .

In their dissent, experts suggested that the legislative agreement would legally limit future administrations seeking to enact stricter restrictions on immigration. “If enacted, [the deal] Future legislation would be needed to repeal the currently proposed legislation,” Reese said. (Related article: Senate Democrats aim to gain immigration removal power amid concerns about President Trump)

Overall, experts suggest the deal should be rejected and that Biden should instead use existing powers to reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the country.

“Congress should be skeptical because the Biden administration has not operated in good faith on the border issue over the past three years,” Roe said. “The same law that President Trump used is still on the books, but the Biden administration refuses to use it.”

“Nearly all the powers needed to control the border and get immigration and asylum processes back on track are already available to Biden. What he undid with executive overreach, we are sure to do in the same way.” It can be repaired,” Hankinson said.

“Congress must finally provide the funding I requested in October to secure our border, including an additional 1,300 Border Patrol agents, 375 immigration agents, 1,600 It includes asylum workers and more than 100 state-of-the-art testing machines,” Biden said in a statement about the negotiations. “If you are serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it.”

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