House GOP unveils immigration bill to restart border wall, hire more agents

Apr 25, 2023

Karah Rucker Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Editor/Digital Producer)

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The Republican-led House Committee on Homeland Security unveiled a new plan to tackle the border crisis. It’s a 68-page bill outlining a total reform on how the Biden administration is currently handling immigration pressures at the southern border.

The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to restart construction of the wall along the southern border. It would use funds that Congress already has appropriated under the Trump administration but were placed on pause under President Biden’s orders.

The bill would also ramp up the hiring of Border Patrol agents with the goal of adding thousands of new hires. The agency currently has about 19,000 agents and the new bill has a goal of 22,000.

The bill would also scrap the main purpose behind Biden’s CBP One app for migrants, which allows the scheduling of court appointments from mobile phones. The bill also aims to modernize and expand surveillance technology along the southern border.

This bill is part of the House Republicans’ larger legislative package to address immigration. Several other similar bills have been taken up with Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. They advanced the latest version of their immigration package the week of April 17, 2023.

Tags: Department of Homeland Security, Donald Trump, House Committee on Homeland Security, House Republicans, Immigration, U.S.-Mexico Border

KARAH RUCKER: THE REPUBLICAN-LED HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE UNVEILED A NEW PLAN TO TACKLE THE BORDER CRISIS. A 68 PAGE BILL OUTLINING A TOTAL REFORM ON HOW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS CURRENTLY HANDLING IMMIGRATION PRESSURES AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO RE-START CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER – USING FUNDS THAT CONGRESS ALREADY HAS APPROPRIATED UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BUT WERE PLACED ON PAUSE UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ORDERS.

THE BILL ALSO WOULD RAMP UP HIRING OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS – WITH THE GOAL OF ADDING THOUSANDS OF NEW HIRES.

THE AGENCY CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 19 THOUSAND AND THE NEW BILL HAS A GOAL OF 22 THOUSAND AGENTS.

THE BILL ALSO WOULD SCRAP THE MAIN PURPOSE BEHIND BIDEN’S CBP ONE APP FOR MIGRANTS – CALLING FOR NO MORE SCHEDULING OF COURT APPOINTMENTS THROUGH A MOBILE APP.

THE BILL ALSO AIMS TO MODERNIZE AND EXPAND SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

THIS BILL IS PART OF HOUSE REPUBLICANS LARGER LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION – SEVERAL OTHER SIMILAR BILLS HAVE BEEN TAKEN UP – WITH REPUBLICANS ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ADVANCING THE LATEST VERSION OF THEIR IMMIGRATION PACKAGE LAST WEEK.