House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) signaled this week that House Republicans would seek funding for the construction of a border wall in their latest budget bill. The fate of the bill could be central to negotiations to avoid a government shutdown later this month.
According to documents from McCarthy’s office, Republicans in Congress plan to ask for more than $2 billion for a wall. In addition, the GOP will request almost 600,000 for border technology and logistics.
The proposal would also hire 22,000 border patrol agents and fund additional training.
The proposed budget would also not fund migrant services through nonprofit organizations. It would also refuse funding for efforts to dismantle existing portions of the border wall. It would also forbid funding for sending migrants to another part of the country.
The budget bill received some praise from border hawks such as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), with the latter saying that the government had to “actually do its job, which is securing our border.”
Much of the increase in migration can be linked to the termination of the Title 42 asylum policy put in place under former President Donald Trump. The Biden administration’s announcement of the end of the policy coincided with a significant increase in migrants seeking to enter the country.
Since the increase in border crossings, a number of states are taking individual actions to try and stem the flow. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) launched Operation Lone Star, which utilizes the state’s police and National Guard to secure portions of its border with Mexico.
This includes the installation of some border fencing and floating buoys along part of the Rio Grande to deter crossings. However, the Biden White House has challenged the state in court over the river barrier.
Texas is adding more border wall today.
This is in the Del Rio sector. pic.twitter.com/TpuL1aq6Cq
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 13, 2023
In addition, Texas, Florida and Arizona have sent bus and planeloads of migrants northward, often to self-declared ‘sanctuary cities.’ New York City has received more than 100,000 such migrants since last year. New York Mayor Eric Adams recently said that the influx of migrants “will destroy” his city.
