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FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas., on Friday introduced a bill that would suspend the entry of illegal immigrants into the U.S. — as Republicans push solutions to the raging crisis at the southern border.
“The Border Safety and Security Act of 2022” would authorize the Homeland Security Secretary to suspend the entry of illegal immigrants into the United States, if he determines it “necessary in order to achieve operational control” of the border.
Sept. 22, 2021: : Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), joined by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), speaks at a news conference about the National Defense Authorization Bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
It would also require the suspension of entry of illegal immigrants if the DHS head cannot detain them as required in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Should the DHS secretary not follow that requirement, it allows state attorneys general to bring legal action against the administration to enforce it.
The 17 lawmakers signed onto the bill include Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.
“Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas has been allowing asylum to be the exception that swallows the rules of border security — leading to chaos and crises at our border,” Roy said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Congress needs to step in and require DHS to turn people away if the department can’t abide by our laws and certify that all aliens claiming asylum are being detained for the adjudication of their claims.”
“The only metric for any border policy right now is whether it will stop the flow of illegal migrants. That’s it,” he said.
FEDERAL JUDGE EXTENDS ORDER BLOCKING BIDEN ADMIN FROM ROLLING BACK TITLE 42 AHEAD OF HEARING
It comes as Republicans are pushing a number of solutions to the crisis at the southern border, which saw 221,000 migrants hit the border in March alone — and that number is expected to rise in the months ahead as the administration lifts the Title 42 public health order.
The administration has said it is planning for worst-case scenarios of up to 18,000 migrants a day if the public health order is lifted. Republican states are suing to block the lifting of the order.
Republicans have repeatedly blamed the massive migrant numbers on the administration’s policy – including the rollback of multiple Trump-era policies – which they say has encouraged more migrants to travel north. The administration has instead focused on “root causes” like violence, corruption and climate change in Central America.
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Meanwhile, a number of immigration hawks and former officials have called for Republicans to unite behind a “flagship” border security bill next year when the new Congress sits.