FAIR: Omnibus Fails to Address Border Crisis Despite Successful Elimination of the Most Radical Democrat Poison Pills

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to the FY22 omnibus spending package heading to President Biden's desk:

"The $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package approved by the House and Senate to fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year provides little hope for the American people that the long-running crisis at our southern border will be addressed. However, the far-left wing of the Democratic Party did fail when it came to including poison pill policy riders that would have exacerbated the border crisis even more.

"On its face, the omnibus goes beyond current funding levels with a $240 million cash infusion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and $1 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It also maintains funding for critical programs like border wall construction and keeps detention space at Trump-era levels. That's the good news. The bad news is that there are no mechanisms in the spending package that will compel the Biden administration to spend the money as intended. In fact, based on President Biden's first 14 months in office, there is every reason to believe that the money will be diverted to support the administration's anti-enforcement efforts.

"The spending package includes more provisions that are deeply troubling. It offers taxpayer-funded lawyers for some illegal aliens seeking U.S. residence. It funds centers to help process those who enter illegally. It gives about $370 million to fund 'enhanced border security' in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman. It gives U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a fee-for-service agency, hundreds of millions of dollars to help them tackle backlogs in processing immigration benefits. Significant COVID-related losses aside, USCIS is increasingly short on funding because the Biden administration continues to create programs that aren't authorized by Congress. Lastly, the omnibus revives the fraud-ridden EB-5 investor visa program. Throughout its history, the EB-5 program has consistently failed to deliver jobs to American workers or revitalize economically-depressed communities.

"Thanks to efforts by FAIR and some Republicans on Capitol Hill who are truly committed to immigration enforcement and border security, open borders poison pills that appeared in the initial Homeland Security appropriations bill were successfully eliminated. If Republicans regain control of one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, they will have a mandate to aggressively utilize control of the purse strings and increased oversight authority to ensure that the Biden administration actually secures our border and enforces immigration laws.

"Not-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been is not good enough. Given the magnitude of the border crisis the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats have created, much more will need to be done to actually end it."

Contact: Preston Huennekens, 202-328-7004 or [email protected].

ABOUT FAIR        

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)