Several high-ranking and prominent Republicans have criticized a leaked Senate deal to enact border security reforms in exchange for funding Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The bipartisan deal would mandate the detention of all single adult foreign national migrants entering the United States illegally and, temporarily, shut down the processing of any migrant after the average number of such entries exceeds 5,000, with any other arrivals being removed immediately, until the two-week average of entries falls below 3,750, according to details of the deal leaked to the press on Friday. The deal, and its details, have been assailed by many Republicans who argue that it is insufficient to meaningfully reduce illegal migrant crossings. (RELATED: Senate Border Deal May Undercut Provision That Democratic Cities Have Demanded For Migrant Relief)
“If the rumors about the contents of the draft proposals are true, it would have been dead on arrival in the House anyway,” wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson in a letter to members of Congress on Friday, shortly before the details were leaked. Johnson has asserted that “the Senate’s pending proposal would expressly allow as many as 150,000 illegal crossings each month (1.8 million per year) before any new ‘shutdown’ authority could be used.”
BREAKING: Senate border deal details, per source familiar I just had a call with.
– Mandatory detention of all single adults.
– Mandatory “shut down” of border once average daily migrant encounters hits 5,000. Importantly, this 5,000 number includes 1,400 CBP One app…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 27, 2024
“Senate Republican leadership’s deal with the Democrats is dead on arrival in the House. The border package doesn’t even come close to securing the border,” wrote Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Twitter, now known as X, on Sunday, after the deal’s contents were leaked. Cruz is among a group of Republican senators who have opposed the deal, highlighting a divide in the Senate Republican Conference on the subject.
“The border deal would [do] NOTHING to secure the border. In fact, it would [codify] the open border!” exclaimed Republican Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota on Twitter on Monday. “Joe Biden doesn’t need a deal to secure the border TODAY.”
Noem’s comments echo a frequent refrain from Republicans that current laws in force enable the Biden administration to act on their demands. These laws include 8 U.S.C. § 1325, which makes it a criminal offense for foreign nationals or “aliens” to cross the border illegally, as well as 8 U.S.C. § 1226, which authorizes the detention of aliens pending a decision on whether to remove them from the country, the latter category encompassing millions of aliens who have entered the U.S. unlawfully and are awaiting Title 8 deportation proceedings.
“The Senate border deal is a border surrender deal and that means there is NO deal. Dead on arrival,” wrote Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia on Twitter. “0.00. That’s the correct number of criminal immigrants that should be permitted to illegally enter and remain in America,” wrote Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio.
The bill has also attracted opposition from Republican candidates in states along the international border with Mexico, where migrants illegally enter the United States by crossing the Rio Grande or unfenced areas. “The Schumer/Sinema border deal allows 5,000 illegal immigrants into our country per DAY. That’s 5,000 illegal immigrants, too many for me. Secure the border & turn them back,” wrote Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for the Senate in Arizona in 2024’s election, on Twitter.
The deal is currently being negotiated by Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut. They, along with several Republican allies, have defended the deal as a measure of progress from the current situation, where no agreement on limiting illegal migrant crossings exists.
“Now it’s interesting, a few months later, when we’re finally near the end, they’re like ‘Oh, just kidding, I actually don’t want to change the law because it’s a presidential election year,'” said Lankford on Fox News on Sunday. “I just reject that we should ‘reserve’ a crisis for a better time to solve it,” said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota on CNN.
“Lankford, McConnell and Romney are all full of shit,” said Donald Trump, Jr. on Twitter. “They’re trying to sneak a mass amnesty for illegals into this deal, which is why actual Republicans are opposing it. We wanted a secure border, not AMNESTY!”
President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign a bill enacting the deal if presented to him by Congress. The legislative text of the deal has not yet been released.
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