Biden vows to veto House GOP immigration bill
Naomi Lim
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President Joe Biden will veto House Republican attempts to pass an immigration bill, claiming the legislation will only complicate the situation at the southern border as the administration prepares for the end of Title 42.
The Secure the Border Act of 2023, or H.R. 2, “does nothing to address the root causes of migration, reduces humanitarian protections, and restricts lawful pathways,” according to the White House‘s Office of Management and Budget.
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“While we welcome Congress’ engagement on meaningful steps to address immigration and the challenges at the border, this bill would make things worse, not better,” OMB wrote in a statement Monday. “Because this bill does very little to actually increase border security while doing a great deal to trample on the Nation’s core values and international obligations, it should be rejected.”
OMB contended Biden’s immigration policy has been undermined “by an outdated statutory framework and inadequate resources, particularly in this time of unprecedented global movement.”
“The bill would make processing less efficient by prohibiting the use of the CBP One mobile application to process noncitizens and restricting DHS’s parole authority, such that successful programs, like ‘Uniting for Ukraine,’ would be prohibited,” OMB said. “The bill would also reduce authorized funding for essential programs including the Shelter and Services Program that provides a critical source of funds for state and local governments and reduces pressure at the border.”
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“A successful border management strategy must include robust enforcement at the border of illegal crossings, deterrence to discourage illegal immigration, and legal pathways to ensure that those in need of protection are not turned away to face death or serious harm,” OMB added. “The Biden-Harris administration’s approach to border management is grounded in this strategy — expanding legal pathways while increasing consequences for illegal pathways, which helps maintain safe, orderly, and humane border processing.”
After months of negotiations, the House is poised to vote on H.R. 2 on Thursday, the same day Title 42, a pandemic-era federal public health authority that has been used to expeditiously expel immigrants, will expire. H.R. 2 will reintroduce components of former President Donald Trump‘s so-called Remain in Mexico policy, restart border wall construction, redirect funds from migrant charities, improve border surveillance, and earmark more money for border personnel.