Senate Democrats blocked a motion by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Fridayto include his Secure the Border Act in the Continuing Resolution. The Secure the Border Act would provide physical and technological border improvements, manpower assistance to Border Patrol and ICE Enforcement Removal Operations, and protection to families seeking entry at the border as well as unaccompanied alien children. Additionally, Sen. Cruz’s amendment punishes visa overstays, reforms immigration parole, asylum, and the legal immigration workforce issues, and prevents uncontrolled alien flows into the United States.
Senate Democrats unanimously voted against this measure.
The Secure the Border Act, which passed the House of Representatives as H.R. 2, is the most comprehensive border security legislation in decades. The bill was voted out of the House with 219-2 Republican members voting in favor of its passage.
Regarding the vote, Sen. Cruz said, “Our nation, and Texas in particular, is experiencing a crisis of the highest magnitude. Just this week, a college student in Georgia was murdered, an illegal alien apprehended for shooting and killing a toddler in Maryland, and two more individuals who illegally entered our nation being arrested for raping teenage and adolescent girls. We cannot turn a blind eye to the innocent lives being taken or traumatized by Joe Biden’s open border policies. It is time to pass meaningful reform, and we know this bill has the support of the House. However, Senate Democrats see illegal aliens as future Democrat voters, so they don’t want to secure the border and put the needs of American citizens first.”
Read the full text of the amendment here.
