Senate leaders on Sunday released details of the long-awaited comprehensive border security bill, which also contains a substantial foreign aid component.
The discussions, led by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Krysten Sinema (I-AZ), and Chris Murphy (D-CT), come after months of negotiations with the Biden regime, seeking to address both the ongoing crisis in level US southern border and foreign policy commitments abroad.
The 370-page agreement, according to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, says it reflects weeks of good faith negotiations, balancing domestic concerns with urgent international aid needs.
“As Ukraine runs out of ammunition to repel Putin’s brutal invasion, it is imperative that we finally extend our support,” Murray said in a statement.
As reported by The Gateway ExpertThe $118.28 billion Comprehensive National Security Supplementary Package allocates a staggering $60.06 billion to Ukraine in response to Russia’s aggressive military actions .
In contrast, U.S. border security efforts are expected to receive $20.23 billion. This disparity in funding allocation has raised concerns and sparked debate about the Senate’s priorities at a time when challenges to national border security persist.
According to Murray, the $118.28 billion national security supplemental package includes:
- $60.06 billion to support Ukraine in the fight against Putin’s bloody invasion and in protecting its people and sovereignty.
- $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel.
- $2.44 billion to support U.S. Central Command operations and address combat expenses related to the Red Sea conflict.
- $10 billion in humanitarian assistance to provide food, water, shelter, medical care and other essential services to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, Ukraine and other populations affected by conflict zones around the world.
- $4.83 billion to support key regional partners in the Indo-Pacific and deter aggression by the Chinese government.
- $2.33 billion to continue supporting Ukrainians displaced by Putin’s war of aggression and other refugees fleeing persecution.
- Bipartisan border policy changes negotiated by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and James Lankford (R-OK).
- $20.23 billion to address existing operational needs and expand capabilities at our nation’s borders, fund new border policies included in the package, and help stop the flow of fentanyl and other narcotics.
- THE Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) in derogation from the Fentanyl Act.
- $400 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to help nonprofits and houses of worship improve security.
RINO Senator James Lankford (R-OK) released the following statement today:
“For the past four months, the United States has seen the highest number of illegal border crossings each month, with December hitting a U.S. record of more than 300,000 illegal crossings, averaging nearly 10,000 people per day. In December alone, nearly 45,000 people who crossed our southern border were granted a work permit and parole status on the day of their arrival as a “reward” for passing through a port of entry, which does nothing more which encourages more people to come.
“Our immigration hearings have been backlogged for years, allowing millions of noncitizens to roam our country. Over the past three years, more than 8 million people have crossed our southern border illegally, costing our nation billions of dollars and leading to record levels of fentanyl, crime and homelessness.
“Even if President Biden won’t admit it, this is a crisis. We must secure our border now. He can’t wait any longer.
“Americans are not opposed to legal and orderly immigration, but they are tired of the chaos and abuse at our border. I’m happy to announce that we have finally finished strong legislation to add to the supplemental funding bill. Although most members of the Senate have already been briefed on the contents of the bill, the final text will soon be distributed to members of the Senate and published online within a day.
“The border security bill will put a huge number of new enforcement tools in the hands of a future administration and will push the current administration to finally stop the illegal flow. The bill includes funding to build the wall, increase technology at the border and add more detention beds, more agents and more deportation flights. The border security bill ends parole abuse on our southwest border, which over a million people have given up on. Fundamentally change our ambiguous asylum laws by conducting rapid checks with higher standards of proof, limited appeals and rapid deportations.
“New barriers to asylum eligibility will prevent criminal cartels from exploiting our currently weak immigration laws. The bill also provides new emergency authorities to close the border when the border is crossed, new hiring authorities to quickly ramp up officers and new hearing authorities to quickly enforce consequences for illegal crossings. Change our border from catch and release to detention and deportation.
“Our immigration laws have been weak for years. This is a unique opportunity to close our open border and provide future administrations with the effective tools they need to stop border chaos and protect our nation.”
The proposed bill would grant the Secretary of Homeland Security unprecedented emergency powers to manage extraordinary migration events at the U.S. border. This new “border emergency authority” is specifically designed to respond to migration waves that overwhelm current border security and immigration processing capabilities.
The legislation establishes clear thresholds for triggering this emergency authority.
According to the summary of the bill, “The “Border Emergency Authority” May be exercised if the cumulative average number of meetings of ineligible foreigners over 7 days is between 4,000 and 5,000 per day and duty be exercised if the 7-day average is greater than 5,000 per day. So is the exercise of authority necessary if the number of meetings in a single day exceeds 8,500. Unaccompanied minors from non-contiguous countries are not included in the total number of encounters for the purposes of this section.”
Here’s how it works in simple terms:
- If, over the course of a week, the average number of people showing up at the border without the right to enter is between 4,000 and 5,000 every day, the government may decide to use this special tool.
- If the average number exceeds 5,000 people per day, then the government must use it.
- Furthermore, if on a single day more than 8,500 people show up without permission, the government must immediately use this tool.
But there is one important exception: Children who arrive alone at the border from countries that are not close to the United States do not count in these numbers.
MOREOVER:
- When use of emergency authority is authorized, the Secretary has the authority to prohibit entry into the United States of all individuals, except unaccompanied minors, between ports of entry and may only verify eligibility of individuals to withhold removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture. At the same time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is required to continue processing a minimum of 1,400 inadmissible aliens per day at Southwest land ports of entry under expedited removal or 235B noncustodial removal contained in this title, ensuring that access to the asylum system remains available.
- Requires the Secretary to suspend the exercise of border emergency authority within 14 days of the 7-day average number of encounters falling below 75% of the total number of applicable encounters that initially authorized the Secretary to exercise the border emergency authorities.
- Provides that the authority may not be activated for more than 270 days in the first calendar year, 225 days in the second calendar year, and 180 days in the third calendar year.
- Authorizes the President to urgently suspend the border emergency for a maximum of 45 days if it is in the national interest.
- Provides that the United States district court for the District of Columbia shall have sole and original jurisdiction over any challenge arising from the Secretary’s authority to exercise emergency border authority.
- Imposes a 1-year inadmissibility hold on any alien who has been removed two or more times under the Border Emergency Authority.
This new bill will also provide work authorization: “Requires that an alien must first pass the high standard of credible fear and barriers to obtain work authorization if the alien is released from custody after a positive credible fear. This provision does not create the right to release from detention, the right to work authorization for aliens who have crossed the border illegally, or change the employment authorization process for any alien who is not screened according to the high standards of credible fear. This provision changes current law, which allows an alien to receive a work permit simply for applying for asylum without undergoing a screening, to now require that an alien must first pass a credible high fear screening and all asylum barriers, including persecutor bars, criminal bars, terrorism bars, corporate resettlement bars and internal relocation bars – before obtaining work authorization. “
Read the bill summary below: