Biden Requests $4 Billion in “Emergency” Funding to Deal with a Border Crisis His Administration Denies
Even though President Joe Biden and everyone who speaks on behalf of his administration continue to insist that our borders are under control, the White House is requesting a $4 billion emergency supplemental appropriation to cover a small fraction of the costs associated with the unprecedented influx of illegal migrants. Notably, all of the additional money sought by the White House would go toward “manag[ing] the Southwest border safely and effectively,” rather than controlling our borders or enforcing laws against those who breach them.
The biggest chunk of the supplemental request, $2.65 billion, would be earmarked for providing shelter and services to the unending flow of migrants. $416 million would be used to target fentanyl trafficking, which has surged as border enforcement personnel have been tied up processing and releasing migrants. Another $600 million dedicated to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is clearly an effort to funnel even more money to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in their efforts to provide various forms of assistance – including housing, food, clothing, and transportation services to illegal border crossers. These NGOs actively encourage illegal immigration and oppose all manner of border and immigration enforcement. According to a May 2023 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Inspector General, there is very little oversight of how these funds are spent and, not surprisingly, the programs run by the NGOs are often mismanaged.
Additional federal dollars are needed to offset the enormous costs being absorbed by state and local governments as millions of new illegal aliens are disbursed around the country. But FAIR and many members of Congress are adamantly opposed to handing the Biden administration a blank check to fund their illegal open borders policies.
FAIR has called for the additional funding to be conditioned on enactment of H.R. 2, the Secure Border Act, passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year. That bill would restart construction of the border security fence; add thousands of new Border Patrol agents and new technology; reform the much-abused asylum process; end catch-and-release; rein-in abuse of the humanitarian parole and other needed reforms. In order for H.R. 2 to become law, the Democratic controlled Senate would need to pass it and be signed by President Biden.
With the new fiscal year beginning on October 1, the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee has already voted next year’s DHS funding bill out of committee. That bill similarly requires that funds be spent to deter and prevent illegal immigration. All of these provisions and spending priorities will have to be fiercely defended as negotiators hash out their differences with the Democratic-led Senate in September.