Republicans in Congress are proposing a strategy to end legitimate emigration in the US.
Republicans and Democrats have sharply divided over immigration, which has stifled their efforts to support more humanitarian-focused immigration laws. Politicians have struggled to find common ground on the subject for ages because there have been recent increases in migrant visitors at the U.S. Mexico border.
There were more than 2.4 million contacts at the U. S. Mexico borders during the 2023 fiscal season, up from around 1.7 million in 2021, according to U. S. Customs and Border Protection information.
Arizona Republican Congressman Eli Crane, a part of the traditional Freedom Caucus, is proposing a bill that would change the way the U. S. approaches legal emigration, he announced on Tuesday.
The recent family-sponsored immigration system has resulted in countless chains of foreign nationals enraging our immigration system, according to the author. Worse, it encourages distant family of immigrants to come to the United States and live there illegally while they wait for a card to be available, Crane said in a declaration to Newsweek.
He claimed that the proposed legislation would change the way family-sponsored immigration permits are issued in the United States by limiting “family-sponsored immigration eligibility to just spouses and children.”
He added that it would help for “exceptions in specific circumstances to care for aging families.”
Currently, the U. S. Department of State offers two types of family- based immigrant visa, according to its site.
Immediate Comparative permits are “based on a close family relation with a U. S. member, such as a partner, child or caregiver”, and the number of permits offered is not limited each fiscal year.
Family Preference visas are for” specific, more distant, family relationships with a U. S. citizen and some specified relationships with a Lawful Permanent Resident”, and are limited each fiscal year.
Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Mary Miller of Illinois, Bill Posey of Florida and Matt Rosendale of Montana are co- sponsoring the bill, Crane wrote on X.
Rosendale wrote to X,” I am proud to co- sponsor this bill led by my good friend, @RepEliCrane. We MUST end the current immigration laws that make it illegal for illegals to circumvent the family-sponsored visa system and enslave people in our nation by the millions”!
However, it remains unclear whether the bill would receive enough support to pass the House of Representatives. Nearly every Republican would have to support the bill because of the GOP’s slim margin.
Republicans can only afford two defections from any legislation without gaining some Democratic support, and it’s not known if any Democrats would back such conservative legislation.
Even if it were to pass the House, it still had a chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate or gaining President Joe Biden‘s signature.
The bill was previously introduced in June 2022 by former Rep. Jody Hice, a Republican who represented Georgia’s 10th District in Congress. Eight other Republicans co-sponsored the bill at the time, but it was never put to a formal vote.
For comment, Newsweek has reached out to Crane, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of minorities, via email.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is dedicated to disproving conventional wisdom and establishing connections in search of common ground.
Newsweek is dedicated to disproving conventional wisdom and establishing connections in search of common ground.
