Newhouse Rejects Biden Administration’s Million Dollar Payout Rewarding Illegal Immigration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) along with 75 of his Republican colleagues, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick Garland, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra requesting information regarding President Biden's intent to reward illegal immigrants almost $1 million for breaking our nation's laws.
"According to an October 28th Wall Street Journal article, the Biden administration is considering offering almost $1 million per family to those who were taken into custody and separated after illegally crossing our southern border," wrote the lawmakers. "If finalized, the total settlement could reach $1 billion or more. Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a litany of issues created by extreme policy changes that have led to the ongoing, persistent, and preventable historic humanitarian crisis at our border. These changes have signaled to human traffickers and drug cartels that the United States southern border is open for business, so long as you are not entering legally."
The Members requested information to confirm the Administration's intent with this policy, and whether the award amount would in fact be larger than that dispensed to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack, as reported.
The lawmakers continued, "While immigration has been a bedrock of the United States since its founding, we should not be creating policy that encourages individuals to illegally enter our country by traveling thousands of miles through some of the most dangerous parts of the world organized by international criminal syndicates responsible for thousands of murders throughout Mexico and the U.S. – all during a global pandemic.
Read the full letter here and below:
Dear Secretary Mayorkas, Attorney General Garland, and Secretary Becerra:
According to an October 28th Wall Street Journal article, the Biden administration is considering offering almost $1 million per family to those who were taken into custody and separated after illegally crossing our southern border. If finalized, the total settlement could reach $1 billion or more. Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a litany of issues created by extreme policy changes that have led to the ongoing, persistent, and preventable historic humanitarian crisis at our border. These changes have signaled to human traffickers and drug cartels that the United States southern border is open for business, so long as you are not entering legally.
While immigration has been a bedrock of the United States since its founding, we should not be creating policy that encourages individuals to illegally enter our country by traveling thousands of miles through some of the most dangerous parts of the world organized by international criminal syndicates responsible for thousands of murders throughout Mexico and the U.S. – all during a global pandemic. Furthermore, it is ironic that this administration would focus on the well-being of illegal immigrants when, in July 2021, several whistleblowers came forward to shed light on the deplorable conditions at a Ft. Bliss detention center responsible for overseeing the care of more than 5,000 children. The reports claimed that COVID spread among the kids, contractors hired by the Department of Health and Human Services lacked childcare experience, and it took months to receive supplies to quell a lice outbreak among the young people. Unconscionably, bureaucrats in Washington advised those on the ground to paint a rosy picture and to not allow the public to find out how decrepit the conditions were.
The family separation policy was ended in June 2018, and, in some cases, already resolved for far less than the reported figures this administration is discussing. To better understand this negotiation, we request you answer the below questions expeditiously.
- Is the reporting correct and could families who illegally crossed the southern border and were separated receive larger settlements than the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack?
- What is the total amount of American taxpayer dollars that the administration plans to authorize to settle these cases?
- Will those families who illegally crossed the southern border and were separated be given preferential treatment to remain in the United States over those attempting to legally immigrate?
We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to hearing your response.
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