The House voted to adopt a resolution Tuesday claiming that President Joe Biden has created the ‘worst border security crisis’ the country has ever experienced.
The resolution passed the House on a vote 226 – 193. Notably, 14 Democrats voted in favor of the resolution.
Democrat Reps. Jared Moskowitz, Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden and Mary Peltolta were among those who voted in favor of the resolution.
The measure specifically denounced the Biden administration’s border policies and claimed he has incentivized over 9.3 million illegal migrants to arrive at the U.S. southern border since he took office.
It also blamed Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas for helping Biden to create ‘the worst border security crisis in the Nation’s history.’
Mayorkas was impeached last month by the House for his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The resolution was written by Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, who represents a large swath of the U.S.-Mexico border.
‘This resolution once again brings to light a harrowing reality that under President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ watch our nation has witnessed the worst border crisis in American history,’ De La Cruz said on the House floor Tuesday.
Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, introduced the resolution denouncing Biden’s border policies on Tuesday
President Joe Biden (Left) and Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas (Right) took a trip to the U.S-Mexico border at the end of February
‘The resolution is clear on its demands, it time for this administration to uphold its responsibility.’
‘We must initiate asylum cooperative agreements with safer partner countries, employ expedited removal authority judiciously and ensure that those not admissible are detained as federal law requires,’ De La Cruz said.
Some of the policies she championed, like asylum agreements and expedited removal, were expanded under former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Under Trump, the U.S. struck asylum cooperative agreement deals with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, meaning data collected on the migrants crossing through those countries would be provided to U.S. officials.
The current administration ‘suspended and terminated’ the agreements as a part of Biden’s ‘open-borders agenda,’ the resolution states.
As for expedited removal authority, which enables low-level immigration officers to summarily remove certain noncitizens without a hearing, Biden’s administration rolled back expansions made under Trump.
Still, President Biden blamed Republicans for the migrant crisis along the southern border during his State of the Union remarks last week.
While touting a bill that could have set border security reforms, Biden noted how ‘unfortunately, politics have derailed it so far,’ in a jab against the GOP who did not support the measure.
Migrants sit by a campfire in California and wait for U.S. Border Patrol officials to pick them up
President Joe Biden has repeatedly defended his border policies, including during his recent State of the Union address
‘This is not really a question of immigration policy, but of national security, public safety and basic human dignity,’ De La Cruz said.
‘We deserve a sensible, secure and humane immigration system for the sake of our nation, for the protection of our citizens and the integrity of our borders.’
The passage of the resolution is largely symbolic, but does enter into the record that Biden has created the worst immigration crisis ever to befall the U.S.
As the House Republicans voting margin is just razor thin, and expected to get smaller by the end of next week, getting anything through the chamber is a win for the GOP conference.