In a recent interview on The Ingraham Angle, Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, discussed the ongoing Senate border negotiations and the impact of the Biden administration’s policies. However, former President Trump has dismissed the emerging Senate border funding deal, labeling it as ineffective in securing the border and warning that it would be “another gift to the Radical Left Democrats.” Trump expressed his concerns about the deal on his newly launched social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “A Border Deal now would be another Gift to the Radical Left Democrats. They need it politically, but don’t care about our Border.”
Lawmakers have been working on a deal to address the White House’s supplemental request, which includes border funding, aid to Ukraine, and aid to Israel. While the White House initially requested $14 billion in border funding, Republicans have demanded stricter limits on asylum and releases into the interior. The current package being considered includes tighter language for asylum screenings, with the inclusion of an expulsion authority similar to the COVID-19-era Title 42-style authority. The use of this authority would be mandated if there is a 7-day rolling average of above 5,000 encounters a day, with encounters above 4,000 being discretionary. Additionally, a single day with over 8,000 encounters would trigger the expulsions. The bill also aims to limit the use of humanitarian parole, reduce wait times for work permits, grant work permits to children of temporary visa holders who turn 21, and increase ICE detention.
While the provisions of the bill are still subject to change, conservatives have expressed their anger towards the package, arguing that it fails to adequately secure the border and accepts a high number of releases into the interior as the new norm. Furthermore, it is unlikely to pass in the House, where Republicans have demanded the inclusion of H.R. 2, the Republican border legislation from last year.
Trump has strongly criticized the current Senate negotiations, stating that they will be “meaningless in terms of Border Security and Closure.” As the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, he believes that electing him to the White House is the only solution to the border crisis. Trump emphasized, “Four years ago we had the Safest and Most Secure Border in the History of our Country, and now we have the WORST, probably anywhere in the World. In any event, if you want to have a really Secure Border, your ONLY HOPE is to vote for TRUMP2024!”
The package has also faced criticism from Republican senators, with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas describing it as a “kamikaze plane in a box canyon with no exits headed for a train wreck.” However, Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, one of the main negotiators of the package, defended their efforts, stating that they are trying to address the border crisis amidst the Democrats’ refusal to act. Lankford expressed frustration with the Democrat-led Senate’s lack of action on border issues over the past three years and emphasized the importance of implementing measures to prevent such a crisis from happening again in the future.
As negotiations continue, it remains to be seen how the Senate will reach a consensus on the border funding deal. The concerns raised by Trump and conservative lawmakers highlight the deep divisions surrounding immigration and border security policies. The outcome of these negotiations will have significant implications for the Biden administration’s approach to border control and the overall state of border security in the United States.
[Author’s note: Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report. Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter. Subscribe to the newsletter for the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more political content.]
