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Delay of McCaul Bill Debunks GOP's "Border Security First" Line

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Remember this one the next time the GOP claims that it wants to pass immigration reform:

As we wrote about yesterday, the McCaul border bill that was pulled this week, not to see action again until at least February, is literally called the “Secure Our Borders First Act”.  Republicans are always claiming that they want immigration reform, they just want the border to be secure first.  What happened this week should blow that myth out of the water.  The GOP, swayed by its right wing, is about deportations.  That’s why House Republicans have refused to fund national security unless President Obama agrees to resume deporting DREAMers and parents (Senate Democrats today announced that they are standing firm against that plan).  The McCaul bill failed this week because the right wing isn’t interested in border security right now.  It’s interested in maximizing deportations.  Check out the below statements from those who oppose it:

  • “I think there is a big misunderstanding the the border security bill can handle internal enforcement as well. It simply can’t.” — Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)
  • The McCaul bill wouldn’t “deter or send home a single illegal alien.” — Jessica Vaughn, Center for Immigration Studies
  • The bill “does nothing to preclude anyone in the world from turning themselves in at the US border and obtaining automatic entry and federal benefits.” — Ken Palinkas, USCIS Union
  • “If you pass a bill called ‘border security,’ then the other side is going to say, ‘Hey, look, we already did it, we passed border security, so now it’s time for step two, which is amnesty– let everyone in, legalize them, because we now have a secure border.” — Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA)
  • “Republicans won a historic midterm vote on the promise to take real action—not symbolic gestures—to end the immigration lawlessness. It is essential that any immigration measures moved by the Republican Congress actually do the job.” — Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)