New GOP bill would dismantle Biden policies protecting border crossers

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Republican Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) has put forth legislation that aims to shut down many of the policies that have helped border crossers under President Joe Biden’s administration.

America is heading to the polls and one of the top issues for voters has been illegal immigration, specifically the Biden-Harris administration’s lack of action on unfettered border crossing. Banks’ bill would effectively shut down a large number of the policies and protections that have been put in place to help migrants come into the United States and stay without much fear of deportation.

The legislation, titled the “End Executive Branch Amnesty Act,” specifically looks at the use of humanitarian parole as well as the Temporary Protected Status which prevents migrants from deportation for a period of time.

“The Biden administration, as part of its efforts to expand lawful pathways for migration to curb the ongoing migrant crisis at the border, has used parole to allow in 1,450 migrants a day using the CBP One app at the border,” reported Fox News. “It has also allowed over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela into the U.S. to fly into the U.S. using a separate program.”

While the White House claims that these programs have served to limit the number of immigrants and create a more orderly situation at the border, Republicans say that the Biden administration is abusing the humanitarian parole, which is allowing in migrants who might not otherwise qualify to enter America.

“It is a key element of our efforts to address the unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere, and other countries around the world see it as a model to tackle the challenge of increased irregular migration that they too are experiencing,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier in 2024.

The “Temporary Protected Status” has been used to prevent migrants from unstable countries, such as Haiti and Venezuela, from being sent back. However, critics point out that Tren de Aragua gang members from Venezuela have been terrorizing communities in the United States and should not be afforded protection from deportation.

“Banks’ bill would restrict TPS designations by requiring Congress to approve them for 12-month terms, and requiring additional moves by Congress to extend them,” Fox explained. “The bill would also limit parole to a hard cap of 1,000 a year, significantly reduced from the hundreds of thousands allowed currently. Parole would also only be allowed for limited circumstances like emergency medical cases.”

The legislation also addresses the loss of unaccompanied minors within the immigration system by creating stricter eligibility and placement criteria. It would likewise prevent the use of Notices to Appear, CBP One app, and other DHS documents from being used for verification in American airports.

While the bill is facing a heavy legal challenge from the currently Democrat-controlled Senate, Banks is not backing down from the fight.

“The Biden-Harris administration has abused the laws on the books to grant millions of non-citizens legal status. Republicans must restore our immigration system to Congress’s original intent and ensure parole is only used as a last-ditch humanitarian measure to help foreign nationals in times of catastrophe,” the congressman said.

“Over the past three years, millions of foreigners have made the dangerous and illegal journey across our southern border because of the Biden-Harris administration’s promise of future amnesty. Democrats broke our immigration system, and my bill would help fix it by ending mass parole and other magnets drawing people here illegally,” he continued.