On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee was supposed to discuss a legislative proposal to address the devolving situation at the southern border. Democrats had other priorities, namely engaging in endless obstruction, obfuscation, and sophomoric finger-pointing.
Ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) set the tone by attempting to characterize the current humanitarian and security crisis as part of an ongoing cycle of mass border incursions.
“In looking at the numbers going back to 1925 to 2018, there have been 15 years where we have had more than 1 million intrusions. We have had over a decade where the country has faced these crossings in the past, so it’s not unusual that it would happen again,” insisted ranking member Dianne Feinstein of California.
This crisis is historically different, countered Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan.
“I want to make clear that this is unlike anything we have ever seen at our border and it is in large part due to the gaps in our immigration laws,” said McAleenan, who added that those gaps are “causing a massive demographic shift in the flow” and “placing children at unique and critical risk.”
What also is different is complete and total refusal of Congress, primarily Democrats, to take a single step toward changing the laws which are incentivizing thousands of migrants to risk their – and their children’s – lives to get to the U.S. border.
“It’s been over 18 months since the administration asked for the legislative fixes that would have prevented the current crisis and 40 days since we asked for the emergency funding necessary to manage it,” he told the committee. Since the Trump administration sent a request to Congress for emergency funds in May, more than 60,000 children have entered into DHS custody.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and his fellow Democrats seemingly are alright with the prospect of another 60,000 children in detention or another record-setting 144,000 illegal alien apprehensions (the total in May) as long as they get the mass amnesty so desired.
“Now whether a supplemental gets done is up to the administration. If they continue to block bipartisan legislation, nothing happens. … We want long term solutions,” threatened Leahy.
The long-term solutions Democrats seek do not include any that would address the “pull factors” behind the current crisis and there is great concern they will add an amnesty poison bill to a bill that would help.
The two critical changes are included in the Secure and Protect Act, the proposal offered by Judiciary Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.). Specifically, change the Flores Settlement Agreement to allow longer detention of illegal aliens and reform U.S. asylum laws. Simply implementing those changes, said McAleenan, could result in 90 percent reduction in the migrant flow.
Throughout the hearing, Democrats directed their scorn and criticism at the Trump administration, not at the coyotes and traffickers who rent migrant children to adults so they can claim them as their own at the border, including a 51-year old who rented an 8-month old for $80.
Committee Democrats challenged the legitimacy of a three-day pilot DNA program that uncovered 17 cases of fraud among 109 families. They also expressed doubt when the DHS secretary testified that in five weeks more than 240 cases of fraud were identified during 660 illegal alien interviews.