Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has called for immediate action to address the ongoing border crisis in his remarks on the Senate floor. McConnell emphasized the importance of border security in ensuring national security and expressed concerns about the Biden Administration's handling of the situation. He highlighted the strain that record-setting illegal migration has placed on border protection facilities and personnel.

McConnell criticized the "catch-and-release" policy as a dangerous first resort for a broken asylum and parole system. He pointed out that immigration courts are currently facing over 2 million pending asylum cases, with the backlog growing by 50% since President Biden took office. The average asylum case waits more than four years for judgment, which McConnell described as sending the wrong signals to both legitimate asylum-seekers and bad actors.

Acknowledging the bipartisan consensus on the central problem driving the border crisis, McConnell referred to the Administration's border czar, Secretary Mayorkas, who has admitted that the United States' handling of asylum claims needs comprehensive reform. Senate Republicans, including Senators Lankford, Graham, Cotton, and Cornyn, have been working on policy changes that aim to restore common sense to the asylum claims process and parole granting.

However, McConnell criticized the Democratic Leader for considering border security measures as the biggest holdup for passing a national security supplemental. He argued that the refusal to address the crisis at the southern border is the single largest obstacle in providing urgent resources to countries like Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.

In conclusion, McConnell stressed that national security begins at home and urged his colleagues to acknowledge the significance of addressing the border crisis. He emphasized that the Senate needs to move forward on the urgent business before them in order to ensure the safety and security of the nation.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A506FEF6-8168-4FEA-B099-B0677F2020D6