Vote against H.R. 2214 and H.R. 5581 — they will harm our country!

The No BAN Act, H.R. 2214, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) would make it increasingly more difficult for the president to suspend immigration for certain classes of individuals where the suspension would serve in the national interest. It was under this authority that President Trump was able to suspend the entry of travelers from certain regions of the world at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The No BAN Act would prevent the president from taking swift action.

The Access to Counsel Act, H.R. 5581, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), would require that individuals referred for secondary inspection by a CBP officer at a port of entry are given access to counsel. This would affect approximately 17 million individuals each year. By allowing access to counsel, it would slow down traffic at ports of entry, and individuals who would rightfully be turned away would inevitably find a way to enter our country.

I hope you will vote against H.R. 2214, the No BAN Act, when the House considers it later this week. H.R. 2214 would make it increasingly more difficult for the president to pause immigration when doing so would serve the national interest. I believe the government should be allowed to prevent individuals from entering the United States for any reason (or no reason), but especially if their presence puts Americans in danger.

I also hope you will vote against H.R. 5581, the Access to Counsel Act, when the House considers it later this week. H.R. 5581, would clog our immigration system and make it far more difficult to deny entry to foreign nationals who have no right to enter the United States. This legislation’s purpose is to grind our immigration system to a halt so that removing a foreign national is costly and time-consuming.

I hope you will oppose these two bills when each comes up for a vote later this week.

Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA