WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has joined Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), along with Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Thom Tillis (R-NC), in introducing the Solving the Border Crisis Act, legislation that would secure the southern border by resuming construction of the border wall, strengthening management and enforcement capacities, and upholding the rule of law.
“The Biden Administration’s open border policies have incentivized the migration of millions of illegal aliens and allowed thousands of pounds of deadly fentanyl into the United States that is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year,” said Senator Hagerty. “I am pleased to work with my colleagues in taking this critical step to reject President Biden’s failed immigration policies and reinstate the commonsense border policies of the last Administration.”
“Since President Biden took office, more than 4.7 million illegal immigrants – double the population of Idaho – have been encountered at the southern border,” said Senator Risch. “This is a direct result from the president’s open border policies that have catalyzed a full-blown disaster. With my legislation, the Solving the Border Crisis Act, America would return to reasonable, commonsense border polices that not only stop illegal immigration but deter it. This legislation would resume construction of the border wall, extend Title 42, and improve equipment and resources for enforcement and border patrol. Strong border policies are the only solution to President Biden’s ever-growing immigration disaster.”
The Solving the Border Crisis Act:
- Immediately resumes border wall construction.
- Makes the Remain in Mexico program permanent.
- Disapproves of a Biden Administration rule allowing asylum officers to hear asylum claims instead of immigration judges.
- Establishes a sense of Congress that the President declare a national security emergency at the southern border.
- Extends Title 42 until at least 120 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- Requires a comprehensive plan of action to address the influx of illegal migrants should Title 42 be terminated.
- Establishes minimum staffing levels for immigration enforcement, border patrol, and field operation agents.
- Ensures sufficient detention facilities are funded for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to meet requirements.
- Determines if Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is collecting the DNA of unlawful migrants as authorized by law to help with criminal investigations in the U.S.
- Requires DHS to report how the agency is attempting to mitigate border encounters.
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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2023/03/10/hagerty-risch-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-combat-crisis-at-the-southern-border/