OPINION:
Americans agree that illegal immigration across our southern border is the No. 1 issue facing our country as we head toward the 2024 election, according to the latest polling. Yet President Biden has done nothing to stop the migrant surge overwhelming our border.
The Senate border deal that recently went down in defeat would have simply codified Mr. Biden’s failed policies and normalized 1.8 million illegal border crossings a year as an acceptable baseline, which is why it failed spectacularly. It would not only have granted immediate work permits to illegal border crossers, further worsening the situation for U.S.-born workers, but it would have also permitted a staggering 5,000 illegal entries daily before expulsion powers kicked in — powers the secretary of homeland security could choose not to employ. Even if a future administration wanted to seal the border, the Senate bill would require the release of 1,400 illegal border crossers a day.
Fortunately, an alternative exists. Mr. Biden can and should immediately encourage the Senate to pass the Secure the Border Act — the strongest border security bill sitting in Congress.
If enacted, the legislation would address the root causes of the current crisis, effectively closing our borders and reducing the migrant influx.
The bill mandates the detention and removal of illegal immigrants pending asylum claims. It also pauses illegal crossings if necessary and ends the misuse of parole authority that allows the release of illegal immigrants into the U.S. The legislation would target employment — the main draw for illegal immigration — by requiring employers to verify the legal work status of new hires through the E-Verify system.
The Secure the Border Act also aims to change how unaccompanied immigrant children are handled, facilitating their immediate return or ensuring proper custody and legal support in the U.S. Essentially, the legislation outlines crucial, actionable steps to address the border crisis head-on.
And now is the time for Republicans to apply the pressure on its passage.
The bill has already been cleared by the House and remains the position of any member of Congress who is genuinely concerned about border security. This doesn’t need to be a political battle; the issue has now become quite bipartisan. Border towns and sanctuary cities are hitting their breaking point. And if Democrats were once shy about criticizing Mr. Biden on this matter, their reservations seem to be fading fast.
More than a dozen House Democrats kicked off the new year by denouncing the Biden administration’s border policies. The 14 Democratic lawmakers who voted with House Republicans to condemn “the national security and public safety crisis along the southwest border” urged Mr. Biden to “end his administration’s open-border policies.” Even self-proclaimed progressive Sen. John Fetterman has strayed from the Democratic Party line on immigration, stating that “it can’t be controversial that we should have a secure border.”
Beyond the calls for help from congressional Democrats and liberal mayors, residents in sanctuary cities are now taking legal action, filing lawsuits to prevent the use of public buildings to house asylum-seekers. Meanwhile, Colorado’s largest hospital is on the brink of a crisis, facing a $136 million deficit due to unpaid medical care costs by illegal migrants. Moreover, the vast uptick in immigrant workers is depriving the economy of U.S.-born workers, contributing to “a host of social problems.”
In 2007, even then-Sen. Joe Biden saw the writing on the wall. He once opposed sanctuary cities, arguing they turn cities into “dumps.” Now, his administration’s embrace of sanctuary cities is causing the disastrous consequences he once warned about.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Backed by congressional Democrats, mayors, and Americans fed up with the border crisis, Senate Republicans have the momentum they need to advocate the passage of the Secure the Border Act. And as Mr. Biden grapples with plummeting poll numbers and internal pressure over the border, he should rally Senate Democrats behind the legislation and ultimately sign it into law.
• James Massa is CEO of NumbersUSA, America’s largest single-issue advocacy group, which has over 8 million grassroots supporters.
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