3 FEB 2023
Hub Highlights: Republicans Offer More Political Stunts, Not Solutions
GOP congressional hearings, Ron DeSantis’ proposed state budget, and attacks by GOP governors against humanitarian parole demonstrate more of the same anti-immigrant rhetoric and lack of solutions from the Republican Party.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As new polling demonstrates that 80% of Americans want our leaders to deliver citizenship to immigrant families, Republicans across the country and in all levels of government continue to show just how out of step they are with the American people.
Just this week, Republican leaders held a sham hearing in Congress that only served to propagate misinformation to the public. They continued to fear monger and blame migrants for worsening the fentanyl crisis in the United States, despite report after report (after report) deeming this narrative to be completely false. Even the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, called out Republicans for promoting this false narrative, simply stating: “No, Biden’s Immigration Policies Are Not to Blame for the Fentanyl Crisis.” They continued to attack the administration from ending Title 42 though the policy has proven to increase the flow of individuals at the border. They also falsely accused President Biden and Democrats of supporting “open borders,” ignoring the administration’s numerous efforts to strengthen border infrastructure and legal pathways and its comprehensive planto manage migration, keep families together and ensure an orderly process at the border.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a budget for FY 2023-2024 that allocates another $12 million of taxpayer money to his cruel so-called “migrant relocation program.” Last year, his administration flew 50 Venezuelan migrants and their children under false pretenses to Martha’s Vineyard and attempted to sabotage their asylum cases by giving them wrong information regarding their immigration process. Instead of working with NGOs and leaders on the ground to ensure the resettlement of refugees and migrants, as has long been the tradition of Florida, DeSantis is doubling down and wasting valuable taxpayer dollars to fund his senseless political stunt. His proposal would expand this program by funding the transport of migrants “from any point of origin in the U.S. to any jurisdiction.”
Texas led 20 Republican states in suing the Biden administration over the migrant parole program, which provides eligible Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan asylum seekers a legal process to safely enter and seek refuge in the United States, if they are pre-approved by the U.S. government. This is yet another instance of Republicans exploiting the judicial system in an attempt to impose their anti-immigrant policies and stand in the way of solutions. The lawsuit is packed with racist rhetoric, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claiming that the parole program is a Biden plot to “destroy our nation,” while singling out only Haitians.
“The attacks from Governor Ron DeSantis against asylum seekers and this lawsuit by GOP governors against the newly announced migrant parole program prove what we already knew, Republicans are more interested in senseless politicking than fixing our broken immigration system,” said Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub. “It’s disappointing to see extreme Republicans reject solutions, continue to demonize immigrants and spread falsehoods in an effort to target immigrant families. It’s past time Republicans stopped the political theater and started working with Democrats in good-faith to deliver legislation with a pathway to citizenship for families and sensible measures to manage the border.”
The Highlights to Follow:
Lower Border Crossings: U.S. figures show that despite whatever Republicans may claim, border crossings fell sharply in January.
A Show Trial That Might be Too Much Even for the GOP: The new House GOP majority is taking its first step toward a goal that’s openly dividing its members: a political show trial with the goal of booting DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from office.
A Solution-Centered Approach: A new common sense opinion piece in the New York Times: “How States Can Help Turn an Immigration Logjam Into a Success.”
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.