House Republicans Have Walked Into An Immigration Trap

The statement from House Republican leadership that the Senate immigration bill is dead in the House and will not be considered is a terrible Trump-driven political move that will come back to haunt them.

The House Republican Leadership said in a statement:
House Republicans oppose the Senate immigration bill because it fails in every policy area needed to secure our border and would actually incentivize more illegal immigration.

Among its many flaws, the bill expands work authorizations for illegal aliens while failing to include critical asylum reforms. Even worse, its language allowing illegals to be ‘released from physical custody’ would effectively endorse the Biden ‘catch and release’ policy.

The so-called ‘shutdown’ authority in the bill is anything but, riddled with loopholes that grant far too much discretionary authority to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas – who has proven he will exploit every measure possible, in defiance of the law, to keep the border open.

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The bill also fails to adequately stop the President’s abuse of parole authority and provides for taxpayer funds to fly and house illegal immigrants in hotels through the FEMA Shelter and Services Program.

Because President Biden has refused to utilize his broad executive authority to end the border catastrophe that he has created, the House led nine months ago with the passage of the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2). That bill contains the necessary components to actually stem the flow of illegals and end the present crisis. The Senate must take it up immediately.

America’s sovereignty is at stake.

Any consideration of this Senate bill in its current form is a waste of time. It is DEAD on arrival in the House. We encourage the U.S. Senate to reject it.

The Senate Republicans and House Republicans operate in different universes. Senate Republicans see the border deal as the best offer they may ever get from Democrats. Senate Republicans also understand doing a little bit of bipartisan governing helps them in their quest to win back the Senate majority in 2024.

House Republicans are only interested in pleasing Donald Trump, as they seem to be under the impression that keeping Trump happy will help them keep their majority. House Republicans are have shaped themselves in Trump’s image and seem only concerned with politics and appealing to their conservative base. They have no interest in governing.

The House Republican majority has been led into a trap by Trump. By rejecting the bill and not allowing a vote, they have endangered their 18 incumbents that represent districts that President Biden won in 2020, and they handed by the unity and bipartisanship message that appeals to voters in the middle and is the bread and butter of his political brand.

House Republicans set this trap themselves by demanding a border deal and then backing out. It is an amateur move by House Republicans that will come back to haunt them.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association