Two members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) said on Monday that they are "deeply concerned" about the possibility that President Joe Biden makes concessions to Republicans who want to impose hard-line immigration policies in exchange for support a multi-billion dollar aid package.
Senator Alex Padilla and Rep. Nanette Barragán, both from California, described the measures as ""trump-era immigration policies that Democrats fought so hard against -and that he himself campaigned against- in exchange for aid to our allies that Republicans already support."
"Caving to demands for these permanent damaging policy changes as a 'price to be paid for' an unrelated one-time spending package would set a dangerous precedent," the statement adds.
CHC Chair @RepBarragan & @SenAlexPadilla Joint Statement Urging President Biden to Reject Trump-Era Immigration Policies Proposed in Supplemental Aid Negotiations ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/z7Fn3TcD2W
— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus) December 11, 2023
Biden said last Wednesday that he is ready to make "significant compromises on the order" to break the impasse, as Senate Republicans continue blocking the package, which includes financial support for Ukraine and Israel, as well as other national security priorities.
"We need to fix the broken border system. It is broken," Biden said, adding that he's "ready to change policy as well." According to The Associated Press, senators have found agreement on raising the initial standard for migrants to enter the asylum system, but are at odds over "placing limitations on humanitarian parole, a program that allows the executive branch to temporarily admit migrants without action from Congress."
The members of the HCH said that it is "unconscionable that the President would consider going back on his word to enact what amounts to a ban on asylum."
"Terrorizing communities across the U.S. by expanding expedited removal and ignoring our international obligations to provide asylum to those fleeing persecution, violence and authoritarianism are nonstarters. We unequivocally agree on the need for Congress to act to reform our immigration system and address the challenges at our border, but extreme Republican demands to cut off legal pathways and deport long-term residents will not reduce unauthorized migration - they will only exacerbate our current challenges," adds the statement.
The situation at the border has become a focal point for voters, particularly Republicans, heading into the next presidential elections. A recent AP-NORC poll indicates that about half of U.S. adults prioritize increasing security at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Migrant encounters at the U.S. southern border hit a daily record last Tuesday, as the amount of people making their way to the country continues to increase at a sustained pace. Concretely, there were over 12,000 encounters, according to a report by Fox News, which cited multiple Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources.
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