Why does the budget reconciliation bill provide waivers for human smugglers?

I cannot understand why Democrats are adding immigration provisions that reward human smugglers to the budget reconciliation process during a border crisis! Not only do the provisions to issue work permits to 8 million people who crossed the border illegally or overstayed a visa provide human smugglers with a great sales pitch — the provisions also include waivers to allow the human smugglers themselves to apply for green cards!

Apprehensions at the border are at a 20 year high, apprehensions of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) are at an all-time high, DHS has failed to transfer UACs promptly, and DHS has removed the lowest number of illegal aliens on record (including those with final orders of removal and criminal convictions). Moreover, there have been more than 170,000 border apprehensions each of the past three months.

Yet the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill includes zero dollars to address the depressing numbers above. Instead, it allocates more money to make them worse. Please strip the immigration provisions from the bill, or vote “no.”

Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA

Author: Greg Raven

I am deeply concerned about quality of life issues.