A bipartisan group of senators is on the verge of finalizing their immigration deal, but Republican intraparty warfare could threaten its passage.
Former President Donald Trump is urging Congress to cancel the deal before the text of the deal is even released.
He denounced the deal on Truth Social Monday, saying the “horrific” bill is being used by Democrats to put the “border disaster” on the “shoulders of Republicans.”
“There is zero chance that I will support this horrible open-borders betrayal of America,” Trump also said of the deal at a rally last weekend in Nevada.
“A lot of senators are trying to blame me,” he continued. “I say, ‘that’s OK, please blame me.’ I’d rather have no bill than a bad bill.’
But the White House insists the deal will achieve “the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border that our country has ever had” and give Biden new executive authority to “close the border.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday during the daily briefing that President Mike Johnson must “step up” and provide the “authorities” needed to secure the border.
Former President Donald Trump is urging Congress to cancel the deal before the text of the deal is even released
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a leader in the border talks, was censured by his home state GOP over the weekend
But Johnson has said Biden could take executive action to reverse the “catastrophe” at the border “immediately” — and that he does not need Congress’ help.
“President Biden falsely claimed yesterday that he needs Congress to pass a new law allowing him to close the southern border, but he knows that is not true,” Johnson said in a statement this weekend .
He also threatened that the deal in the Senate would be “dead on arrival” in the House of Representatives, and that any bill allowing “even one illegal crossing” would be “a non-starter.”
White House officials, including Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas became involved in the discussions on Capitol Hill in mid-December. December saw the highest number of migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border of all time: more than 302,000, according to official Border Patrol figures.
Biden said in a written statement on Friday that the deal would give him “a new emergency authority” to close the border. He added: “And if I were given that power, I would use it the day I sign the bill.”
But Trump insisted that Congress did not need to pass legislation — that the executive branch already has the authority needed to secure the border.
“I had the most secure border in American history. I didn’t have a “Bill!” They are using this horrific Senate bill as a way to put the BORDER DISASTER on the shoulders of Republicans. The Democrats broke the border, they should fix it. NO LEGISLATION NEEDED, IT IS ALREADY THERE!!!’ he wrote on Truth Social.
And while official details of the proposal are scarce, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House will not take up the legislation unless it ends the catch-and-release program and Remain in Mexico program is restored.
Senate Republicans have expressed frustrations and even accused their colleagues of opposing the border bill because of election-year politics.
An aerial view of the area as migrants walk past barbed wire after crossing the Rio Grande into the United States on January 28, 2024
“It’s interesting that four months ago, Republicans wouldn’t provide funding to Ukraine, Israel and our southern border because we were demanding policy changes. So we linked arms and said, we’re not going to give you any money for this. We want to change the law,” Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said on Fox News this weekend.
“A few months later, when we finally get to the end, they’re like, ‘Oh, just kidding. “I actually don’t want a change in the law because of the presidential election year,” he continued.
At home, Lankford was criticized this weekend by the Oklahoma Republican Party, which threatened to withdraw support from him if he did not “cease endangering the safety and freedom of the people of Oklahoma.”
“The fact that (Trump) would communicate to Republican senators … that he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it is really abhorrent,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, recently told reporters. week.
“If we can’t get this passed, I’m going to introduce the exact same bill if Trump wins and we have a Senate majority. I guarantee everyone who is against it. It’s all about politics and not about having the courage to respectfully disagree with President Trump and tell him, “This will help him.” He has asked for it before,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
“I didn’t come here to have a president as a boss or a candidate as a boss. “I came here to pass good, solid policies that will help a president who is serious about securing the border.”
Lankford eagerly disputed Trump’s claim that the deal would lead to “open borders” – reporting that up to 5,000 crossings could take place per day before immediate deportation would be allowed.
‘It would be absolutely absurd for me to agree to 5,000 people a day. “This bill is aimed at ensuring that we no longer have illegal crossings every day,” he said.
The Oklahoma Republican emphasized that the deal would increase the number of border agents and asylum officials, increase detention beds, end catch and release, increase the number of deportation flights and speed up the screening of asylum seekers.
“It’s a border closure and basically everyone gets turned around. Okay, that’s the focus we have right now. How can we actually intervene in this government so that people in the area don’t let people in,” he said.