Immigration solutions are necessary, but the ''Secure the Border Act of 2023'' will not solve our border problem.
To solve serious problems like this, we must refrain from allowing our polarization to steamroll ineffective bills.
Congress must work together on bipartisan reforms to our immigration policy, laws, and international treaties.
We need sensible and intelligent border security with lawful and orderly pathways to the U.S. while honoring our nation's longstanding commitment as a haven for those fleeing persecution as asylum seekers, which was incorporated into U.S. and international law following the atrocities of World War II.
The Secure the Border Act of 2023 doesn't accomplish this.
We are in a crisis at the border, we all agree.
We need action to solve this, we all agree.
All Democrats voted against this bill, and only two Republicans voted against it. Why?
The bill was referred to five important committees after its introduction but never received a committee hearing. Why?
The bill went directly to the floor for five hours of debate and, within 24 hours, was passed. A bill of such utmost importance should not be handled this way.
I have spent 12 hours reviewing this 213-page bill and various analyses of it from multiple perspectives. Here are my concerns and conclusions.
Some elements might prove effective and helpful, like additional investments in personnel and technology at ports of entry, which I support.
Its focus on physical barriers, deterrence measures, and enforcement only needs to be revised.
Defunding more humane approaches for migrants and their families could cause undue harm.
Criminalizing overstaying a legal visa, including tourists, family members, or future spouses, is unjust.
Employers would be required not to employ undocumented workers, but nearly half of U.S. agricultural workers are undocumented, which could jeopardize Americans' access to a reliable food supply.
Removing safeguards for migrant children goes against our values as Americans.
This bill doesn't fix or solve our immigration problem, nor does it address the millions of immigration cases waiting years for a hearing.Â
Before citizens render their support or lack thereof, it is essential to know what the bill does and doesn't do. It should be a Congressional mandate to summarize the bill's effects in a non-partisan, readable format. Sound bites, with all their disinformation and misinformation from partisan sources, are not the way.
We need a Representative willing to study the issues, identify problems, and look for win-win solutions.
To solve serious problems, leaders must be uninterested in which side of the aisle the solutions come from and reject partisan politics, bickering, and power brokering. This is a very serious humanitarian and security issue. It requires bipartisan mitigation.