House Republicans are planning to renew a push this week to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws and tighten security at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced the move at a press conference on Monday to mark the House GOP’s first 100 days in power.
“We’re going to start a border security package through the Judiciary Committee to address this massive problem where millions of people have come across our border,” said Mr. Scalise, Louisiana Republican. “It’s not only in American national security, but look at how many young people die every single [day] because of drug overdoses.”
It remains to be seen if earlier concerns by some in the GOP have been addressed in the 137-page immigration proposal being pushed by House Republicans. The measure is set to be considered by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Overall, the package is a combination of eight other pieces of immigration legislation that have been circulated by various Republican lawmakers. It would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to block any foreign national from entering the country if it is “necessary in order to achieve operational control over” the U.S. border.
The proposal also revives several Trump-era restrictions on asylum eligibility for migrants traversing the U.S.-Mexico border. As such, the bill would block entry to migrants who have traveled through another country in order to reach the U.S. if they did not seek asylum in the other country first.
The legislation also requires migrants to seek asylum at designated ports of entry, rather than trying to enter the U.S. illegally. It would impose a $50 asylum fee for adult migrants.
“We know that if the United States fails to control our borders, the drug cartels will,” said Rep. Laurel Lee, Florida Republican.
Outside of changing asylum laws, the proposal would also allow migrant children to be detained with their parents for the duration of immigration proceedings. The bill further makes it mandatory for U.S. companies to check immigration status before hiring an individual and penalizes them for knowingly employing an illegal alien.
Immigration and border security are two of the top issues that Republicans ran on in the last election cycle. Despite the focus by GOP lawmakers on the topics, actual legislation has been difficult to draft that can garner sufficient support within the narrowly divided House.
Republican leaders initially pledged to put an immigration bill on the floor within their first month in the majority. But that promise was sidelined by internal bickering within the House Republican conference.
Specifically, moderate lawmakers raised objections to what they saw as overly draconian deportation and asylum measures. Rep. Tony Gonzales, Texas Republican who represents a large chunk of the southern border, said earlier this year that he would oppose any bill that limited legal pathways for asylum seekers to enter the U.S.
“Harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric does nothing to help secure the border,” said Mr. Gonzales.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.