Last night, Rep. Doug Collins’s (R-Ga.) true immigration reform amendment to H.R. 2578, the 2016 fiscal year Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations (funding) bill died on the House floor. The amendment would have denied federal funds to “sanctuary cities” – jurisdictions that impede immigration enforcement by refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Specifically, the Collins amendment prohibited federal funds—mainly SCAAP funds—from being used to assist state and local entities whose laws and policies obstruct and undermine federal immigration law and enforcement. The rationale for the Collins amendment is clear: jurisdictions that do not cooperate with efforts to remove criminal aliens should not expect federal assistance to offset the costs of incarcerating them.
However, this commonsense amendment was halted when pro-amnesty House Democrats objected that the amendment improperly legislates through appropriations bills. Shockingly, the amendment was ruled out of order. This decision is puzzling because Rep. Collins introduced the identical amendment last year for the 2015 CJS appropriations bill and it was approved unanimously!
Watch Rep. Collins passionately defend his amendment and the importance of enforcing our immigration laws: