With the unveiling over the weekend of the proposed bipartisan “border security bill” that has been worked on for weeks, the Senate has sparked outrage and frustrated responses from America First GOP lawmakers and citizens nationwide. The drafters of the border bill, once dismissing claims of allowing 5,000 migrants per day as mere “internet rumors,” have now unveiled a reality that surpasses even those figures.
The bill as written would permit up to 8,500 migrants to cross the border daily without declaring an emergency, a sharp contrast to the assurances given by lead Republican negotiator Sen. James Lankford (R-OK).
🚨Breaking News: The Bipartisan Border Bill negotiated by Republican Senator James Lankford has officially been released👇
1. $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine
2. $14 billion in military aid to Israel
3. $20 billion for border security pic.twitter.com/rzZsyLVAPT— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) February 5, 2024
Perhaps the most devastating provision in the bill: Mayorkas can directly grant illegals asylum in a special new process — asylum status confers welfare access, green cards, chain migration and path to full voting citizenship. https://t.co/5jMf4sZBxJ
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) February 5, 2024
Lankford, who previously branded such numbers as absurd, is directly contradicted by the bill’s text. It states that the Secretary of Homeland Security “shall activate the border emergency authority if a combined total of 8,500 or more aliens are encountered” in a day.
Fun fact, the U.S. Marine Corps budget in FY23 was $53.8 billion. This bill would give Ukraine more than $60 billion.
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) February 5, 2024
Opposition voices, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), have denounced the bill as a magnet for illegal immigration and a departure from effective border security measures under the Trump administration. Their criticisms echo a broader conservative sentiment: this bill is seen as an “open borders” approach that weakens U.S. sovereignty and undermines law and order.
Amazing. The @GOP is going to give another $2.3 billion to the non profits directing the illegal invasion force.
Worse than a useless party. It’s a complicit one. https://t.co/ILYEvFxCN5 pic.twitter.com/KNyun8UbMV
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) February 5, 2024
The $118 billion bill, encompassing foreign policy priorities like Ukraine and Israel funding, raises concerns about its focus. Critics, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), argue that a bill intended for American border security should not prioritize foreign wars over domestic interests. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have expressed similar sentiments, underscoring the bill’s failure to uphold immigration laws and protect American borders.
Amid these criticisms, Lankford, a key negotiator in the Senate, faces a formidable challenge. The political storm surrounding the bill, fueled by misinformation and delay in releasing the legislative text, has complicated his task. Lankford’s defense of the bill, emphasizing changes in asylum standards and border management, has struggled to gain traction in the face of widespread skepticism within his party.
The bill’s path through Congress appears increasingly precarious. With House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) declaring it “dead on arrival” and the likelihood of garnering sufficient Republican support in the Senate dwindling, the future of the border bill is in jeopardy.
