Bipartisan Legislation Would Make Historic Investments To Secure The Border And Combat The Fentanyl Crisis, Increase Number Of Family-Based And Employment Visas.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced her support of the bipartisan Senate border security deal and called for its swift passage. In January, Senator Rosen visited the southern border and saw firsthand the need for commonsense reforms to restore order and address the crisis that is currently overwhelming law enforcement and communities.
“The situation at our southern border is nothing short of a crisis – law enforcement is overwhelmed by the unprecedented surge of migrant crossings, and communities across Nevada and the nation are being overwhelmed by the flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl. It’s past time we take commonsense steps to secure the border and keep fentanyl from getting into our country,” said Senator Rosen. “This new bipartisan compromise would finally take action to restore order at our southern border and help establish a safe, orderly, and humane process for asylum claims. Washington needs to stop playing games, put politics aside, and work together across the aisle to pass this critically needed border security legislation.”
The border security supplemental package would make historic investments to secure the border, including funding new security and screening technology, hiring more Border Patrol agents, and increasing resources for Customs and Border Protection officers. The bill would also require the President to sanction drug cartels responsible for the fentanyl crisis and declare fentanyl a national emergency, opening up new federal support.
The legislation also makes important reforms to help vulnerable migrants and improve the visa-based immigration system. Specifically, the legislation would create an additional 250,000 family and employment-based visas to help address a longstanding backlog. It would also allow asylum seekers who pass a newly robust screening process to immediately receive work authorizations while their claim is being reviewed, provide legal counsel free of charge for unaccompanied arrivals under the age of 13, and protect children of individuals on work visas from aging out of the green card line when they turn 21.
The overall package also includes robust support for American allies, including Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, along with humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and support for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Senator Rosen has consistently pushed for commonsense measures to secure the border. She has called on the Biden administration to prioritize additional resources to stop the flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl through ports of entry along the border, pushed for increased resources to support border personnel, and recently voted to advance legislation to provide nearly $14 billion in funding to strengthen border security and humanely process migrants. Following her visit to the border, Senator Rosen has helped introduce legislation to help stop the flow of fentanyl and is a co-sponsor of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which is included in the new border security package. She is also supporting bipartisan efforts to give the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the authority to repair Ports of Entry along the southern border. Last year, ahead of the expiration of Title 42 authority, Rosen helped introduce legislation to respond to immediate needs to secure the southern border,
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