Studies have debunked claims that illegal immigrants benefit the American economy. Despite this, forty-one Democrat mayors and county officials wrote a letter to President Joe Biden requesting parole and work permits for millions of illegal immigrants in the United States. They believe that providing legal authorization to work for these residents would be a positive step forward, particularly in key electoral states. The Democrats argue that allowing illegal immigrants to work legally would result in higher wages, protect them from exploitation, and help them contribute to the economy. However, studies have shown that illegal immigration creates a fiscal burden of $150.7 billion annually for the United States. The Democrats suggest that the Biden administration expand parole for spouses and parents of U.S. military service members and implement work permit programs for long-term undocumented immigrants. Despite the push for these measures, the influx of illegal immigrants has increased under the Biden administration, with nearly 9.9 million encounters reported by border patrol officials. Republicans blame Biden’s policies for this influx and have called for stronger border security measures, including reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy. President Biden’s administration insists they are working to address the border crisis and have proposed bipartisan border legislation, although Republicans have blocked these efforts.
The Border Act of 2024, which includes a provision for shutting down the border in the event of a high number of illegal immigrants, was rejected by a vote of 50-43, with opposition from lawmakers of both parties.
The provision in the bill allows for the border to be closed if the average daily number of illegal immigrants encountered by officials exceeds 5,000 for seven consecutive days. However, critics argue that allowing such a high number of illegal aliens into the country would only worsen the existing immigrant crisis.
Following the rejection of the bill by the Senate, President Biden accused Republicans of neglecting border security and the country’s immigration system. He claimed that GOP lawmakers were prioritizing partisan politics over national security.
Although a few Republicans supported the bill in the initial vote in February, none backed it in the latest vote. Many GOP members criticized the bill as a political move by Democrats that would exacerbate the border situation.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) pointed out that while President Trump took steps to secure the border during his tenure, President Biden had reversed those measures, resulting in the current situation.
