WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation, along with the strongest-ever assembled coalition of border security and immigration groups and leaders, today released a signed letter calling for Congress to reject any efforts to pass mass amnesty or to rearrange lawful immigration categories in the lame-duck session, and to immediately introduce flagship legislation next Congress to secure the border and reduce illegal immigration.
The signatories to the letter write:
“Despite what those on the left and in the media may say, the American people firmly oppose President Biden’s open-borders policies and want the crisis to end. In fact, national exit polling revealed that a decisive 62% of the electorate believes that Congress should focus on securing the border and enforcing our immigration laws, not rewarding those who violated them.
“The first step in reaching this goal, however, must be to stop the problem from getting worse. In particular, we are deeply concerned about the immediate danger posed by the lame-duck session of Congress that is now underway. Even though power is about to change hands in one chamber, various media outlets report there will be attempts to push damaging immigration legislation such as a mass amnesty and lawful immigration reforms through Congress over the next few weeks.”
Lora Ries, director of Heritage’s Center for Border Security and Immigration, and former acting Department of Homeland Security deputy chief of staff, put out a statement upon release of the letter:
“The American people have been shocked by what they have seen at the border since Joe Biden took office. Enough is enough, and it’s time for the next Congress to begin the work of undoing the damage Biden, DHS Secretary Mayorkas, and open-borders advocates setting immigration policy have done. That means impeaching Mayorkas, investigating the Biden administration and those behind these policies, and passing legislation that secures the border and reduces illegal immigration.
“However, before we get there, this current lame-duck Congress must reject any attempt to push a mass amnesty. Amnesty will always be bad policy that encourages more illegal immigration and enriches the cartels. Further, outgoing members of Congress certainly have no business forcing it on the country, particularly when one legislative chamber has flipped hands. There will be accountability for those who seek to do so in the lame-duck session.”
In May, the border security coalition—composed of groups like Heritage, Center for Renewing America, FAIR, National Border Patrol Council, and Conservative Partnership Institute, and border security veterans like Mark Morgan, Tom Homan, Derek Maltz, Ken Cuccinelli, Rodney Scott, and Chad Wolf—released its first letter outlining critical border security legislative changes needed immediately from the next Congress to end this historic border crisis.
This agenda received acclaim among conservatives and set the tone for the border security debate through the rest of the year.
Read the letter here.
For more about the Biden border crisis and what can be done to fix it, visit www.thebidenbordercrisis.com.
