House Republicans will delay action on a border security bill after some centrist members of the party voiced concerns about the scope of the legislation.
Republicans initially sought to bring H.R. 29 to the floor for a vote sometime this week, following through with a pledge from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to usher in tougher immigration policies quickly. However, the legislation was met with some backlash from centrist lawmakers who argued the bill’s language would threaten the United States’s practice of providing asylum.
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The bill, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), seeks to control the surge of immigration at the southern border further by giving the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security control to bar autonomously immigrants from coming into the country at any point of entry as a way to “achieve operational control” over the border. Under the legislation, that decision could be made whenever the secretary determines at their own discretion.
“We can stop [the border crisis] NOW — end ‘encounter & release’ & replace it w/ ‘detain or turn away,’” Roy tweeted. “HR29 would force Biden to do that & maintain asylum laws. For the few opposing … It’s a crisis, act like it.”
The bill also stipulates that the DHS secretary would be required to implement such procedures if immigration agencies become unable to process immigrants. If the secretary fails to follow through, the legislation will allow state attorneys general to sue the DHS.
At least two Republicans have openly opposed the legislation, arguing the bill could block immigrants and unaccompanied children from seeking asylum in the U.S., which has long been a core principle of the country’s immigration laws.
“We can’t allow the Republican Party to be hijacked,” said Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who represents the largest portion of the southern border wall of any other lawmaker. “Trying to ban legitimate asylum claims — one, it’s not Christian, and two, to me, it’s very anti-American. So, a lot is at stake.”
Republicans hold a slim majority in the House, meaning they can only lose four votes on any piece of legislation to pass it through the chamber without help from Democrats. With two Republicans — Gonzales and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), who said she would vote against the bill — already opposing the legislation, Roy can only afford two more defectors.
Several other Republicans have voiced concerns over the legislation, prompting some lawmakers to strike a deal with McCarthy to bring the bill through the Homeland Security Committee for consideration rather than fast-tracking it to the full House floor.
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“We’re convinced that if it goes through committee, some of the areas that we’re worried about, like asylum rules, will hopefully get fixed or improved,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), according to the Washington Post.
Even if the bill does manage to pass the House, it’s unlikely the legislation’s current language would pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. However, the proposal gives a preview of the agenda items House Republicans hope to squeeze through in the coming months as they seek to accomplish campaign promises.
