(NewsReady.com) – Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) is one of the lawmakers negotiating a bipartisan immigration bill. House Republicans recently said they would oppose the bill if it reached the House, angering lawmakers in the Senate. Sinema recently spoke out against her colleagues in the House.
On January 31, the Arizona senator addressed rumors about the immigration bill. The vast majority of lawmakers have not seen the text of the bill yet, which has allowed rumors to circulate about what’s in it. Former President Donald Trump told Republicans not to pass the bill, allegedly because he did not want to give President Joe Biden a win before the November election. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) rejected claims that he didn’t want to pass the bill in order to make it an election issue, saying it would allow 5,000 migrants to enter the country every day.
Sinema rejected those claims. She told the press that the rumors about the bill “are wrong.” The senator said, “Our bill ends catch and release.”
The senator also went over some of the other strict elements of the bill. According to Sinema, before the 5,000 mark that would shut down the border was met, those who wanted to claim asylum would have to show proof they were in danger. Currently, there is only a “credible fear” standard. Additionally, the legislation would end the current “parole” policy where migrants are given a “notice to appear” at immigration court and released into the interior of the country.
The legislation would only allow those who enter the country at a legal port of entry to be placed in a non-detention program. Migrants who enter illegally would be held in detention until they go through the first screening, where they have to provide proof of the threat against them. If they pass the screening, their case will be decided within 90 days. Those who fail the screening will be deported.
Republican Whip John Thune (R-SD) made it clear this is a rare opportunity for Republicans. He said that the policies in the bill are strong and conservative. What’s more, he claimed the policies wouldn’t ever pass under any other circumstances, even with a GOP-controlled Senate and Republican president.
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