On Wednesday, in recognition of National Police Week, the House Republicans passed two new measures, one of which targeted undocumented immigrants.
According to the Epoch Times, HR 2494 mandates the automatic deportation of illegal aliens who assault police officers, whereas HR 3091 allows retired federal law enforcement employees to purchase surplus firearms being sold by the federal government.
The publication reported that Democrats resisted both proposals, which was not unexpected.
According to The Epoch Times, the main reasons Democrats opposed the bills were Republicans’ refusal to amend HR 3091 to require background checks for officers wishing to acquire firearms and their accusations that HR 2494 would unfairly target those with what they believed to be legitimate asylum claims.
“HR 3091 passed on a vote of 232 to 198, with 219 Republicans and 13 Democrats voting yes, and 198 Democrats and no Republicans voting against the measure. Three Republicans and two Democrats didn’t vote,” according to the Times.
Democrats criticized Republicans for extending HR 3091 to allow retired federal law enforcement officials to purchase discounted items in addition to their service firearms. Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) implored his colleagues to vote against the proposals due to the “poison pill” amendments proposed by the Republicans.
The Epoch Times added the following:
HR 3091 initially allowed retired federal law enforcement officers in good standing with their agencies to purchase their service weapons at fair market value. During debate, Nadler said a similar bill had been introduced during the 117th Congress.
He said that bill required that officers undergo a background before making their purchase, “Thereby transferring it from it service weapon to a weapon in the hands of a responsible gun owner who is trained to use it.”
Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) countered that not only have the officers been trusted with the weapons in their work, but the plan would help the government recoup part of its intial investment in the weapons instead of costing it $8 million to destroy the guns.
“Taxpayers are paying for these firearms twice,” Fry said, alluding to the requirement that the government eliminate the weapons.
The Republicans amended the law to permit all former federal law enforcement officials to purchase surplus firearms from the federal government at salvage value rather than fair market value.
The measures are now headed to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where their future is uncertain.
The White House reacted fiercely on Friday after a federal judge prevented the Biden administration from implementing a policy that would have allowed the release of migrants without setting court dates just hours before the expiration of the Title 42 public health order.
Fox News reports that Trump-appointed Judge T. Kent Wetherell II issued a two-week injunction against President Joe Biden’s plan to release migrants on “parole with conditions.”
In cases of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) overcrowding, migrants may be allowed entry into the United States on parole, a procedure typically reserved for cases involving urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, according to a recently released memo by the Border Patrol, as reported by the outlet. This procedure, also known as “parole with conditions,” requires migrants to make an appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or request a Notice to Appear by mail.
“Under a parole release, migrants are rapidly released into the country, do not get an alien registration number and do not receive a court date,” Fox News pointed out.
Florida’s attorney general, Ashley Moody, filed a lawsuit to prevent the adoption of the policy, alleging that it was virtually identical to the “Parole + ATD” (Alternatives to Detention) policy that the same judge had halted in March.
“…The Court has no trouble concluding that Florida has a substantial likelihood of success on the merits because the challenged policy appears to be materially indistinguishable from the Parole+ATD policy vacated in Florida.” Wetherell wrote in his ruling.
Internal documents obtained by CBS News indicate that the Biden administration implemented a broad restriction on asylum about a week ago in order to expedite the deportation of immigrants who enter the country through Mexico after the Title 42 pandemic-era emergency provision expires.
The regulation was published less than 48 hours before the expiration of Title 42, and hundreds of American asylum officials received training in enforcement. CBS News was the first to report on the finalization of the regulation and the instructions sent to the asylum officers who will put it into effect.
BREAKING: Biden breaks campaign promise, restores Trump immigration policy just one day before Title 42 expires as migrants prepare to storm the southern border.
"The Biden administration has finalized a sweeping restriction on asylum that it plans to use to ramp up swift… pic.twitter.com/YMay9swAmw
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 10, 2023
The rule represents a return to the border policy of the Trump administration and will almost certainly be challenged in federal court. Migrants are ineligible for U.S. protection if they do not register for refugee status in another country, such as Mexico, prior to crossing the southern border.
This trend has become more pronounced in recent years as a result of the record-breaking influx of migrants. These arrivals have encumbered an already overburdened asylum system, inundated border communities, and made Biden an electoral risk as he prepares to run for president in 2024.