House Reconciliation Bill Makes Significant Strides to Securing Our Borders and Enforcing U.S. Immigration Laws, Says FAIR

The following statement was issued by Julie Kirchner, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to passage of the reconciliation bill by the House of Representatives:

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "Today's passage of the reconciliation bill by the House of Representatives is a significant step toward providing the Trump administration with the necessary funding to ensure that our borders remain secure and that it can move forward with efforts to remove millions of illegal aliens from our country.

"Notably, the bill provides the Department of Homeland Security the funding it needs to resume construction of the border wall and other physical barriers and provide technology and equipment to monitor illegal activity along the border. In addition to infrastructure, Customs and Border Protection will have funding to hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents and Office of Field Operations will have funding to hire more officers to man ports of entry.

"Preventing new mass incursions of illegal aliens is a critical first step, but the bill also provides needed resources to carry out interior enforcement. Included in the reconciliation package is funding to hire at least 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and money to arrest and detain illegal aliens as they await removal from the country.

"The funding provided in this bill is not insignificant but must be considered in comparison to the costs of mass illegal immigration to American taxpayers – more than $150 billion annually – and the risks to public safety and national security posed by open borders.

"The bill also provides some immediate relief to U.S. taxpayers by eliminating certain tax credits being claimed by illegal aliens and placing fees on money transfers wired out of the country by illegal aliens who are working here. These are essential improvements to current law, but we must eliminate all tax credits for illegal aliens.

"The reconciliation package is by no means the final step to fulfilling President Trump's pledge to end illegal immigration and sharply reduce the number of people living here illegally, but it is a promising start. There is much more to be done through the normal legislative process to prevent future administrations from throwing open our borders and abusing their authority to allow illegal aliens to live, work and collect public benefits here.

"FAIR urges the Senate to act swiftly to send this bill to the president for his signature and calls on Congress to pass legislation bill fully addressing the priorities of the American people.

Contact: Ira Mehlman, 213.700.0407 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)