Sen. Ted Cruz introduced the Senate companion to H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. The legislation was passed by the House of Representatives in May and would require all employers to use E-Verify, close asylum loopholes, and end the Biden Administration's abuse of parole for illegal aliens, among other things. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) are original cosponsors.
NumbersUSA CEO James Massa offered the following statement in support of Sen. Cruz's legislation:
NumbersUSA strongly supports the efforts of Senator Cruz to end the border surge through the introduction of the Senate companion to H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which passed the House of Representatives on May 11. If enacted, this bill would bring an end to the border crisis that has overwhelmed the Border Patrol—and American communities from Eagle Pass to New York to Los Angeles —for more than two and a half years. The Biden Administration has not only refused to use the enforcement authority and barrier expansion given to it by Congress to gain operational control of the border, but has added to the crisis by processing into the interior of the United States millions of aliens without legitimate claims to enter or stay.
The Secure the Border Act of 2023 would rein in the breathtaking and illegal abuse of parole that this administration has been using to unlawfully create its own immigration system outside of the confines of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would block the administration from continuing its policies of catch-and-release, thus deterring future waves of illegal migrants. It would put a stop to the encouragement of family units and unaccompanied alien children surging our borders, protecting them from victimization by the cartels and traffickers, as well as exploitation in illegally obtained jobs without protection of official status. It would put teeth into efforts to deter visa overstays, and it would plug the loopholes in our asylum system to restore its integrity and protect it for legitimate asylum seekers. Most importantly, it would shut off the “jobs magnet” for illegal immigration while protecting jobs for American workers by making nationwide and mandatory the already proven-effective use of E-Verify. NumbersUSA encourages every Senator to stand with Senator Cruz and support these sensible reforms.
H.R. 2 passed the House mostly along party lines. All but two Republicans voted in favor of the legislation with all Democrats opposing it. Sen. Marshall offered H.R. 2 as an amendment to the must-pass debt limit ceiling bill on June 1, but the vote failed with all Democrats opposing and all but one Republican voting in favor of the amendment.
Earlier today, the Texas GOP delegation in the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), sent a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stating that they would oppose a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government beyond the end of September unless it included H.R. 2.
Read more on Sen. Cruz's effort here.
