GOP ‘majority’ eye no-amnesty immigration roadmap

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Hopeful that the administration’s border failure has ended the forever talk of “comprehensive” immigration reform, a sizable coalition of conservatives on Wednesday presented a new approach aimed at limiting the historic flood of illegal crossings under President Joe Biden.

Led by the Heritage Foundation and other key immigration policy groups, the coalition is pushing a no-amnesty blueprint that a new and likely GOP Congress can approve after the midterm elections, giving it a basis for negotiations with the Biden team.

Offered as a letter to congressional leaders, it reads: “When the 118th Congress opens with new majorities in both chambers, it will be in large part because Americans have rejected the Biden administration’s purposeful dismantling of our nation’s borders. Congress should be emboldened with the mandate to immediately legislate unflinchingly, ensuring that neither this nor any future administration are again able to weaponize the loopholes in the immigration system to purposefully drive mass illegal immigration to the United States.”

Signed by Heritage, the Federation for Immigration Reform, the America First Policy Institute, the National Border Patrol Council, and dozens of other people and groups, the letter shared with Secrets offers a 15-point plan that would toughen border control policies.

“There is no time left for half-measures. We must return to the policies that worked to secure our border under President Trump,” said Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts in comments echoed by two former Trump border officials now associated with Heritage.

“For far too long, Republicans have talked about ‘comprehensive immigration reform,’ which translates to amnesty, or simply advocated throwing more money at the border to solve the latest crisis. Those days are over,” said Mark Morgan, a Heritage visiting fellow and the former acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.

“Congress needs to do something it has never done before — truly get serious about border security, put aside Washington double-speak about ‘comprehensive immigration reform,’ implement policies that put America first. Secure borders save lives,” added Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Republicans and some border-state Democrats have been urging Biden to slow his dismantling of former President Donald Trump’s border policies, but he appears to be reaffirming his efforts to open it. Because of policies and signals, more illegal immigrants have been caught trying to cross the Mexico-U.S. border than ever in history.

The coalition plan would reverse those signals and restart Trump policies, especially those that deported criminals and blocked many amnesty applications.

The plan calls for:

  • Excluding any type of amnesty.
  • Creating “an authority to immediately expel illegal aliens across the border.”
  • Tightening asylum rules.
  • Completing the border wall system.
  • Boosting border resources and personnel.
  • Letting states participate in immigration policy.

“Americans are rightfully enraged that the Biden administration has thrown open our borders and allowed the drug cartels and human traffickers to take operational control of our sovereign border. The consequences are disastrous. Congress either needs to be part of the solution or admit they are part of the problem,” said Roberts.

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