September 10, 2014 Dear Mr. Bedwell, Knowing of your interest in the current immigration crisis, I wanted to update you on recent legislative action taken by the House of Representatives. As you know, in recent months our nation has seen a dramatic increase in individuals illegally entering our country through the southwest border. This is a humanitarian and economic crisis caused by the Presidents own actions, and frankly inaction. And it is a crisis to which the President believes his Administration simply needs more funding to address - $3.8 billion in new funding. The President is wrong. The answer to this crisis does not lie in providing more funding for his failed policies that created this crisis. Instead, this crisis requires a measured response that addresses the humanitarian crisis while also sending a clear and unequivocal message that those who attempt to enter our nation illegally, without a substantive claim of asylum, will be promptly and responsibly returned to the caring custody of their own government. The United States is a loving and caring nation, made better by the contribution of legal immigrants. The fabric of our nation is woven by millions of people who have responsibly and legally sought the freedom and opportunity that only our nation can offer. But the United States is also a nation of laws. Those who choose to break our laws and enter our country illegally must not be rewarded with a residency status that undermines the historic foundation of our nations immigration policy. Accordingly, my colleagues and I in the House of Representatives recently rejected the Presidents spending proposal and instead passed on July 31 a limited and narrowly targeted package of solutions that focuses on law enforcement, border security, and the safe, timely, and responsible return of individuals to their country of origin. The House-passed legislation includes the following common sense solutions: 1. Dramatically reduces the Presidents spending request from nearly $4 billion to under $700 million and fully offsets each dollar spent through spending cuts and rescissions to other federal programs. 2. Provides $334 million to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to boost law enforcement, provide additional detention space, expedite migrant processing, and employ additional deportation personnel. 3. Provides $22 million to accelerate judicial proceedings for immigrants, including hiring additional immigration law judges and establishing expanded teleconferencing capabilities so judges across the country can assist with expediting cases and removal orders, shortening the time between apprehension and removal. 4. Provides $70 million for our National Guard to assist our Border Patrol agents with surveillance, intelligence, and humanitarian activities. To ensure that this funding is appropriately utilized, $35 million of this funding will be given directly to states for their use of the Guard at the Southern Border, bypassing the Obama Administration. 5. Provides $197 million in one-time emergency funding to the Department of Health & Human Services to provide temporary shelter, meals, medical care, vaccinations, and security for children awaiting processing, adjudication, and deportation. 6. Freezes the Presidents implementation of his administratively created and unlawful program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. 7. Redirects previous foreign assistance for Central American countries to be used now exclusively for repatriation processing services in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. 8. Requires that all unaccompanied minors are subject to the same immigration laws regardless of their country of origin, and requires that an adjudication hearing must be held for each minor within seven days after being screened by child welfare officials. 9. Strengthens the law prohibiting criminals with drug-related convictions from applying for asylum in the United States. 10. Expresses a Sense of Congress that the President and Secretary of Defense should not house unauthorized aliens at military installations except under specific circumstances. The House has approved a responsible legislative package focused on law enforcement and adherence to the simple principle that if an individual wishes to come to the United States, they must do so legally or expect to be returned to their home country. The President should accept this legislation and should also recommit to exercising his Constitutional responsibility to enforce our laws so that we can end this crisis once and for all and prevent any additional crisis of this nature in the future. You can be sure that I will continue to closely monitor this matter and will continue to support responsible legislation focused on enforcing the law, and will keep you apprised of future legislative developments. In the meantime, please consider visiting our website at jolly.house.gov where you can register for weekly updates from our office. With much respect, David W. Jolly Member of Congress September 10, 2014 Dear Mr. Bedwell, Knowing of your interest in the current immigration crisis, I wanted to update you on recent legislative action taken by the House of Representatives. As you know, in recent months our nation has seen a dramatic increase in individuals illegally entering our country through the southwest border. This is a humanitarian and economic crisis caused by the Presidents own actions, and frankly inaction. And it is a crisis to which the President believes his Administration simply needs more funding to address - $3.8 billion in new funding. The President is wrong. The answer to this crisis does not lie in providing more funding for his failed policies that created this crisis. Instead, this crisis requires a measured response that addresses the humanitarian crisis while also sending a clear and unequivocal message that those who attempt to enter our nation illegally, without a substantive claim of asylum, will be promptly and responsibly returned to the caring custody of their own government. The United States is a loving and caring nation, made better by the contribution of legal immigrants. The fabric of our nation is woven by millions of people who have responsibly and legally sought the freedom and opportunity that only our nation can offer. But the United States is also a nation of laws. Those who choose to break our laws and enter our country illegally must not be rewarded with a residency status that undermines the historic foundation of our nations immigration policy. Accordingly, my colleagues and I in the House of Representatives recently rejected the Presidents spending proposal and instead passed on July 31 a limited and narrowly targeted package of solutions that focuses on law enforcement, border security, and the safe, timely, and responsible return of individuals to their country of origin. The House-passed legislation includes the following common sense solutions: 1. Dramatically reduces the Presidents spending request from nearly $4 billion to under $700 million and fully offsets each dollar spent through spending cuts and rescissions to other federal programs. 2. Provides $334 million to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to boost law enforcement, provide additional detention space, expedite migrant processing, and employ additional deportation personnel. 3. Provides $22 million to accelerate judicial proceedings for immigrants, including hiring additional immigration law judges and establishing expanded teleconferencing capabilities so judges across the country can assist with expediting cases and removal orders, shortening the time between apprehension and removal. 4. Provides $70 million for our National Guard to assist our Border Patrol agents with surveillance, intelligence, and humanitarian activities. To ensure that this funding is appropriately utilized, $35 million of this funding will be given directly to states for their use of the Guard at the Southern Border, bypassing the Obama Administration. 5. Provides $197 million in one-time emergency funding to the Department of Health & Human Services to provide temporary shelter, meals, medical care, vaccinations, and security for children awaiting processing, adjudication, and deportation. 6. Freezes the Presidents implementation of his administratively created and unlawful program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. 7. Redirects previous foreign assistance for Central American countries to be used now exclusively for repatriation processing services in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. 8. Requires that all unaccompanied minors are subject to the same immigration laws regardless of their country of origin, and requires that an adjudication hearing must be held for each minor within seven days after being screened by child welfare officials. 9. Strengthens the law prohibiting criminals with drug-related convictions from applying for asylum in the United States. 10. Expresses a Sense of Congress that the President and Secretary of Defense should not house unauthorized aliens at military installations except under specific circumstances. The House has approved a responsible legislative package focused on law enforcement and adherence to the simple principle that if an individual wishes to come to the United States, they must do so legally or expect to be returned to their home country. The President should accept this legislation and should also recommit to exercising his Constitutional responsibility to enforce our laws so that we can end this crisis once and for all and prevent any additional crisis of this nature in the future. You can be sure that I will continue to closely monitor this matter and will continue to support responsible legislation focused on enforcing the law, and will keep you apprised of future legislative developments. In the meantime, please consider visiting our website at jolly.house.gov where you can register for weekly updates from our office. With much respect, David W. Jolly Member of Congress
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 12:31:07 +0000
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