The Patriot Post® · The Left Begins Counterattack on GOP Immigration Bill
A driver passing through a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint July 29 was asked the usual questions: “U.S. Border Patrol, how many people on board?”
In the video posted to YouTube the driver replies, “Me.”
“U.S. Citizen?” The Border Patrol agent continues.
“Yeah, but does it really matter?”
The agent looks south, shakes his head and said, “Not anymore, unfortunately.”
With illegal immigrants and criminals crossing the Rio Grande, climbing aboard “La Bestia” train to hitch a ride North, or hiring a “coyotaje,” Barack Obama’s proposal is an ineffective, liberal response – to just throw money at the problem. America needs a sincere rethinking of the legislation that is inspiring continued illegal immigration, and to enforce the laws that are already on the books, but which this administration has arbitrarily chosen to shove aside for its own political gain.
However, House Republicans passed two bills Friday addressing the crisis at the southern border. The first, which passed 223-189 by a nearly party-line vote, approved $694 million in emergency funding for federal agencies dealing with the massive influx of Central American children. It was far below the $3.7 billion Barack Obama requested last month, but would provide $22 million for temporary immigration judges to handle deportation cases, $197 million for housing unaccompanied minors, and $35 million for border states looking to deploy National Guard units. It also would change a 2008 anti-trafficking law by giving the government the same flexibility in repatriating minors from Central American countries that it has with children from Mexico.
The second bill, which strips the Obama administration’s power to prevent deportations under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, passed 216-192, with 11 Republicans voting against it and four Democrats voting for it. This bill was driven largely by conservative Republicans who have seen DACA as an enticement for illegal immigrants seeking to come to the U.S.
During the debate, several House Democrats complained that the legislation is harmful to illegal immigrants, a large and growing group that the Left hopes to convert into a powerful voting block in years to come. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) claimed that Republicans “want to punish our community.” Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) said the Republican legislation “has only one message: ‘Deport! Deport! Deport!’”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi went so far as to interrupt Rep. Thomas Marino (R-PA) during his remarks, approaching the podium while he was speaking and calling him an “insignificant person.” Bipartisanship at its finest.
Sen. Harry Reid, whose own Senate failed to pass immigration legislation last week before hanging it up for the August recess, pronounced the House legislation dead on arrival.
White House Senior Adviser Dan Pfeiffer said last week that the president will be announcing some executive actions later this month to address the issue. Obama has said that he will act alone since there has been no action by Congress. This hypocritical stance is the latest in a long line of Constitution-shredding actions by the president who claims that he is dealing with a do-nothing Congress when in fact, Congress is acting, just not as he wants it to.
The president has refused to enforce existing border laws and has created a number of incentives, including DACA, to actually increase illegal immigration. Now that the border is swelling with Central American children, he wants to claim that it is Republicans’ fault, hoping to use the crisis to Democrats’ advantage in the midterms. Democrats are already running Spanish-language ads against six House Republicans.
Enforcement of existing border laws would be a good start at stemming the tide of illegal immigration. A recent Customs and Border Protection report reveals that the southern border is the primary gateway for illegal immigrants from 75 different countries – some of whom come from countries now stricken with Ebola.
As the Heritage Foundation points out, the right solutions for fixing the border mess would include defunding DACA and removing the incentive for illegal immigrants to come to the U.S. An increase in detentions and removals would also send a message that the U.S. will not tolerate illegal immigration. Expedited return of unaccompanied alien minors to their home countries is part of this strategy. Currently, these children are being shipped off to other states, with the promise that they will either be reunited with their families or receive hearings at which they never show up.
But the Left wants none of it. Republicans have the last word on immigration as Congress takes its five-week summer break. The GOP needs to be ready. The Left is playing the long-term game to win the hearts of Latino voters in an effort to keep power.