Senate Publishes Bill to Secure US-Mexico Border and Grant Emergency Authority to Close It

Senate Publishes Bill to Secure US-Mexico Border and Grant Emergency Authority to Close It

In a bipartisan effort, the United States Senate published a bill aimed at enhancing military and border assistance to deter immigrants from crossing the US-Mexico border irregularly and proposing to close the border when irregular crossings exceed 5,000 daily. President Joe Biden emphasized that this proposal would make the border with Mexico "safer" and "preserve legal immigration," granting him new emergency authority to close the border when overwhelmed.

The bill also raises the bar for migrants to qualify for asylum and expands the capacity to detain them, with faster resolutions for asylum cases at the border and a new authority for accelerated expulsion of non-qualifying immigrants. This legislation stands as a top priority for the Biden administration, particularly in the lead-up to his potential re-election.

Opposition and Criticism

However, immigrant rights advocates have criticized the bill for excluding the approximately 11 million undocumented individuals whom Biden pledged to assist in passing a path to legalization. Additionally, the proposal allocates $118 billion, including $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel, $4.8 billion to Taiwan, and $20 billion for border security.

Legislative Process

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the first procedural vote on the legislation would take place next Wednesday, stating that the bipartisan agreement represents a monumental step towards strengthening national security abroad and along borders.

Nonetheless, the bill faces significant opposition, particularly from Republican lawmakers. Before the draft was announced, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson labeled the proposal as "dead on arrival" in Congress, indicating challenges ahead for the bipartisan initiative.