The immigration bill that some vulnerable Democrats were using as evidence of their commitment to border security has been criticized by Republican senators who claim the measure would have worsened the crisis at the southern border. The bill was negotiated by Senators Chris Murphy, Kyrsten Sinema, and James Lankford, but was ultimately opposed by many Republicans. President Donald Trump also came out against the bill, with Democrats accusing him of being responsible for its demise. However, Republican senators stated that the bill was essentially dead on arrival regardless of Trump’s involvement.
Republican senators, including Ted Cruz, criticized the bill for codifying catch and release, providing work permits to illegal immigrants, and giving taxpayer-funded attorneys to illegal aliens. The bill would have also provided funding to sanctuary cities and NGOs aiding human traffickers, and would have normalized 5,000 illegal immigrants a day. The bill aimed to expand alternatives to detention for those who enter the country illegally and would have established a threshold for border crossings before imposing emergency measures to prevent further entries.
Despite claims from the bill negotiators that it would not have exacerbated the border crisis, the bill faced pushback and failed to pass in both procedural votes held in February and May. Sen. Thom Tillis acknowledged that although there were positive aspects to the bill, there was a lack of trust in the administration’s ability to implement it effectively. Only three Republican senators voted in favor of the bill in February, while in the second vote in May, only Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney supported advancing the bill.
The Democrats running for Senate have used their support for the negotiated bill to emphasize their commitment to addressing the border crisis, with some Republicans opposing the measure becoming targets of criticism. For instance, Sen. Jon Tester highlighted his support for the bill in an ad, while Vice President Kamala Harris is leveraging the bill as part of her campaign platform. However, some Republicans argue that the bill’s failure can be attributed to President Biden and Vice President Harris not enforcing existing laws.
Despite Democrats using the immigration bill as part of their campaign strategy, some Republicans do not believe it will resonate with voters. Sen. Susan Collins expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the bill, noting that the current administration’s handling of the border crisis has contributed to the situation. Meanwhile, Sen. Mitt Romney suggested that some Republicans who opposed the bill were making excuses for their decision. Ultimately, the bill’s failure was seen as a result of lack of trust in the administration and inability to effectively implement the proposed measures.
