Biden Makes Over $50 Million Request To Congress For ‘Unexpected Urgent’ Needs of Migrants, Refugees
President Joe Biden instructed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to request $50.3 million from Congress in response to “unexpected urgent” needs of refugees and migrants in the western hemisphere.
The memo states:
“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601(c)(1)) (MRAA), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the MRAA, that it is important to the national interest to furnish assistance under the MRAA in an amount not to exceed $50.3 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the purpose of meeting unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs in the Western Hemisphere, including through contributions to international organizations by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State.”
The funding would be allocated from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund under the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962.
This move comes in anticipation of a significant migration surge at the U.S.-Mexico border as Title 42, the public health order implemented by the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to expire on May 11.
The expiration of Title 42 is expected to have far-reaching consequences for border communities and the federal government.
Last Thursday, Secretary Blinken and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas unveiled plans to manage the post-Title 42 influx.
These measures include the establishment of new legal pathways for certain migrants to enter the U.S., penalties for illegal entry, and the creation of migrant processing centers in Latin America.
Blinken stressed the need for cooperation during the announcement, stating, “Migration is the definition of a challenge that no country can solve alone.”
“We do expect that encounters at our southern border will increase as smugglers are seeking to take advantage of this change and already are hard at work spreading disinformation that the border will be open after that. High encounters will place a strain on our entire system, including our dedicated and heroic workforce and our communities,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last Thursday.
The border is a hot mess. By all accounts over 6 million immigrants have crossed since Biden has taken office with hundreds of thousands more expected to attempt to cross after May 11, 2023. Border security is on everyone’s mind.
Mayorkas told Chuck Todd, NBC host of “Meet The Press” on Sunday his definition of a secure border.
“It is maximizing the resources that we have available to us to deliver the most effective results,” Mayorkas said.
Related: Illegal Migrants Allegedly Cause Deadly Fire Near El Paso Border Killing 39, Dozens Hospitalized
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said in a tweeted this about that Mayorkas’ comment, “That’s utter bureaucratic gobbledygook!”
Sen. Cruz appear to be right. There was the gruesome murder of five over the weekend and the suspect is a Mexican national in the U.S. illegally and has been deported multiple times.
There was also a House committee hearing this week where whistleblowers accused the federal government of being a middleman to sex trafficking of unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed the border.
It seems there is every reason to be concerned about what has happened and what is about to happen at the border. The likelihood that the Biden administration will do any good with $50 million additional dollars is slim to none.