There's a simple way for President Joe Biden to end the crisis at the nation's southern border, but that will mean changing his policies, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., said Thursday.
"It's easy to stop illegal immigration," Cawthorn told Fox Business's "Mornings With Maria." "All we need to do is build a wall, and adequately fund border patrol agents. That way we can stop the migrants from coming in."
Instead, Biden won't acknowledge there is a crisis, despite thousands of migrants flooding the border since his inauguration, Cawthorn said.
"Joe Biden would say there's just a minor situation going on at the border, although his administration has dispatched FEMA down to the border because it is such an emergency," Cawthorn said. "[Former President] Barack Obama himself said that if we had just 1,000 migrants crossing the border every day, that it would be a national emergency. Right now it's estimated there are over 6,000 illegal immigrants crossing our border every day and when you ask us where do we go from here. It's quite simple."
He also rejected the argument that Republicans are being "xenophobic" on the subject of immigration.
"That's not the case whatsoever," Cawthorn said. "When we have illegal immigrants coming to our country, it poses a national security threat. We don't know who these people are, and they're an incredible strain on our infrastructure.
"But when you say we uphold the rule of law, that is exactly what our country is known for. What Joe Biden is saying is, hey, come to our country illegally, break our laws, break our borders, and then we'll reward you with citizenship."
When asked if he thinks immigrants are being brought in to eventually register for citizenship so they can vote, Cawthorn responded there are "illegal immigrants coming, while they're still in Mexico, [they say] we want Joe Biden to keep his commitment to us."
"His commitment to who?" Cawthorn said. "Joe Biden's commitment is to the people of the United States of America, not to illegal immigrants. If they give them citizenship, they'll owe it to the Democrats, then it's a huge voting block in Texas for the Democratic Party."
Cawthorn's comments came as the House was expected to vote on two separate immigration bills Thursday, marking the first time Congress was to vote on legislation for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants since Democrats won control of both chambers and while a Democrat is in the White House, reports CNN.
The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021, sponsored by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., provides a citizenship pathway for young undocumented immigrants, or "Dreamers," and for people who have Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure beneficiaries. The bill could make eligible up to 4.4 million individuals for permanent residence, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Meanwhile, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is bipartisan legislation from Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. If passed, it will allow farmworkers and their families to earn legal status if they keep employment in the agriculture sector while making changes to the H-2A agricultural guest worker program.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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