WASHINGTON—House Republicans today passed the strongest border security and enforcement legislation put forward to date, addressing nearly every policy recommendation provided by a coalition led in part by The Heritage Foundation. Meanwhile, Title 42 is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. today.
The Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2)—which was opposed by every House Democrat—seeks to end the abuse of U.S. immigration laws by illegal aliens and the Biden administration alike.
Tom Homan, Heritage visiting fellow and former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, released the following statement in response to passage of H.R. 2:
“Last fall, I noted that the time for excuses was coming to an end, and that Congress must take actual steps to hold the Biden administration accountable for the chaos and carnage they have unleashed on our southern border. Thankfully, that is exactly what House Republicans did today.
“Passage of the Secure the Border Act fulfills promises to the American people on delivering solutions to a self-inflicted crisis that harms not just cities and states along the border, but every city and state around the country. The bill’s intentions and contents are clear: It would end the crisis and restore sanity, safety, and security at our borders. It is vital that the Senate takes note of what the House did and swiftly brings this bill to the floor.”
Mark Morgan, Heritage visiting fellow and former acting Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) commissioner, released the following statement in response to the end of Title 42, a contrasting backdrop to what happened in Washington today:
“Rather than replacing Title 42 with a strong and proven deterrence-and-consequence strategy—giving the Border Patrol a fighting chance to regain operational control of our borders from the cartels—Secretary Mayorkas has chosen to re-write the law, abuse authority, and continue to transform the statutory mission of Department of Homeland Security law enforcement agencies away from their national security responsibilities. Make no mistake: As Title 42 goes away, more dangerous narcotics, criminals, and potential national security threats will pour across our borders, as agents are preoccupied fulfilling their new mission as a ‘processing enterprise.’”
Background: H.R. 2 would close loopholes used for asylum fraud, fortify border security by ending “catch-and-release,” end the illegal use of mass parole, expand penalties for visa overstays, reduce incentives for illegal immigration by mandating nationwide E-Verify, and close longstanding loopholes in the processing of both accompanied and unaccompanied alien children. The bill also resumes construction of the border wall, provides essential support for CBP, and prohibits the Biden administration’s reliance on non-governmental organizations to process and transport illegal aliens into American communities.
This firm display of leadership from House Republicans stands in stark contrast to the Biden administration and its policies that seek to worsen, not address the worst border crisis in American history.
