OPINION:
Prices are rising across the board for American families. A tarnished global reputation after a botched Afghanistan withdrawal. Supply chain issues causing shipping delays and shortages. And a border crisis of epic proportions.
Americans face these mounting crises because of the Biden administration’s radical agenda and irresponsible policies that put America last.
I was disturbed, but frankly unsurprised, to learn that the administration has a plan in the works to pay individuals who tried to enter our country illegally $450,000 — each. When all is said and done, if this plan moves forward, the Administration could spend almost $1 billion on these payouts.
That money isn’t coming out of thin air — working families in Iowa will be funding this cash prize for those who knowingly violated our laws.
To put this in perspective, the average family in Iowa brings home around $78,000 a year. The Administration wants to pay individuals who broke our laws more than four times that — that is just plain wrong. It’s unfair to Americans who work hard for their money and want to see it spent wisely.
It’s offensive to the many immigrants who pursued our nation’s legal immigration process, waited their turn in line, and are now living in our country legally – and paying their taxes.
And just think about the message that this would send to those considering trying to subvert our laws and cross our border right now. Currently, over 3,000 migrants have formed a caravan with the intent of storming our border, overwhelming law enforcement on the ground, and coming into our country illegally.
The Administration’s open border policies are incentivizing this surge of illegal immigration. If this payout plan moves forward, it will be a clear message that breaking our immigration laws will not only be tolerated but also be rewarded.
There are no circumstances in which Iowan and American families should fund these payouts to illegal immigrants — but this proposal is even more egregious amid the Biden Administration’s self-made border crisis. A crisis they still refuse to acknowledge. For the last four months in a row, there have been more migrants apprehended at the border than the entire population of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
But instead of returning to policies that secured our border — building the wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico Policy, and ensuring Border Patrol Agents have necessary resources to protect us — the Administration is focused on giving $450,000 to some illegal immigrants.
I am ready to get to work on policies that incentivize legal immigration while stopping illegal immigration — including modernizing our visa waiver program and reducing processing backlogs — but we won’t be able to have serious conversations about reforming our legal immigration system if this is the type of policy the Administration is intent on prioritizing.
This is the wrong policy at the wrong time, and I’ll do everything I can to ensure Americans’ hard-earned money isn’t used to reward those who tried to enter our country illegally.
• Ashley Hinson is an American politician and journalist serving as the U.S. Representative for Iowa’s 1st congressional district since 2021.
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