OPINION:
Since President Biden’s first day in office, we have witnessed the devastating harm wrought by an unrelenting effort to keep our borders open while dismantling interior immigration enforcement.
While the Republican-controlled House answered last month by passing the Secure the Border Act, a strong border security and enforcement bill, the chances of it passing in the Senate are slim to none. But the appropriations process — passage of bills that fund federal agencies — is an arena in which victories are possible.
Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee took a bold first step last week, passing a Department of Homeland Security funding bill for the next fiscal year that not only seeks to ramp up actual border security but also the detention and removal of illegal aliens. Naturally, every anti-enforcement Democrat on the committee opposed it.
While not perfect, the bill provides Immigration and Customs Enforcement with $9.809 billion, which is $1.390 billion above fiscal 2023 funding and $1.477 billion above the Biden administration’s request.
It provides $3.550 billion for custody operations, including a $1.235 billion increase above what was requested to detain an average daily population of 41,500, which is an increase of 7,500 above the fiscal 2023 level and 16,500 above the requested level.
While the National Immigration Center for Enforcement, the group I lead, wanted the detention bed total to be higher, as well as an increase in ICE agents and other items, it is still a critical funding increase to deter skyrocketing levels of illegal immigration and support further interior enforcement actions for removable illegal aliens.
The bill also contains $654.8 million for transportation and removal operations, including $225 million above the request to support additional transportation for increased detention and removals, which have dramatically dropped under the Biden administration.
This all sounds great, and for the most part, it is. But the White House remains committed to defying congressional intent and spending taxpayer dollars either improperly or not at all.
That is why it is essential for lawmakers to be aggressive with their oversight and in the fine-print policy riders often attached to appropriations bills.
Fortunately, that is exactly what Republicans did last week by passing an en bloc amendment package to strengthen the bill.
First, the package prohibits reducing participation in or substantively diminishing the 287(g) program, which allows state and local law enforcement to assist ICE in enforcing immigration law.
Second, it prioritizes funding for detention beds to ensure that all illegal aliens on the nondetained docket are monitored with mandatory GPS tracking throughout the entire duration of their immigration proceedings, including appeals. Not only that, it defunds ICE’s Young Adult Case Management Program — essentially social services for illegal aliens — and moved those funds to an increase in detention beds.
Third, it prohibits the transportation of illegal aliens into the interior of the United States for purposes other than enforcement.
Lastly, it prohibits any Biden-era prosecutorial discretion policies for enforcement actions, including the dangerous memo from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that is suddenly live again after the Supreme Court found that states lacked standing in a lawsuit contesting it.
These are vast improvements to the strong bill that passed the subcommittee, and their inclusion is encouraging. All eyes are now on the entire Republican conference. It is time to get this appropriations bill across the finish line or even make it even stronger.
The fact is, a well-intentioned bill like the Secure the Border Act is simply not enough to address the worst border crisis in U.S. history and which is being compounded by the gutting of interior enforcement.
When you control the purse strings, be aggressive. This is a great first step.
• RJ Hauman is president of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement.
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