More than 9.9 million illegal immigrant encounters have been registered nationwide since fiscal year 2021.
New legislation introduced by Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas) aims to block a Biden administration program that seeks to provide identification cards to illegal immigrants. It also seeks to prevent these individuals from accessing public benefits.
“This summer, President Biden’s DHS [Department of Homeland Security] is expected to launch the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Secure Docket Card program, which will doll out photo identity cards to thousands of illegal aliens across the country,” Mr. Nehls said in a May 16 press release. “This program would be funded directly by American taxpayer dollars. Issuing photo identity cards to illegal aliens will allow them to further take advantage of the American people and abuse local, state, and federal government benefits, such as housing, healthcare, and transportation.”
The ICE Secure Docket Card program has been in the works for some years. In 2022, the agency justified the introduction of the Secure Docket cards, claiming it would boost efficiency when dealing with illegal immigrants.
“Currently, noncitizens receive paper documents from the federal government about their immigration status. Paper documents pose a security risk, are easily lost, and degrade rapidly in real-world use, creating inefficiencies for the government and noncitizens,” the agency told The Epoch Times.
“Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources, and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials.”
Any documentation issued to illegal immigrants as part of their immigration proceedings would be banned from being used to establish their eligibility to access federal public benefits.
Within six months of enacting the bill, the DHS inspector general is required to submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.
The report should detail the establishment, operation, and costs associated with the ICE Secure Docket Card program or any other such federal program offering documentation to illegal immigrants.
“Upon taking office, Joe Biden dismantled successful Trump-era policies, sending a message around the world that our border is wide-open, encouraging over 9 million illegal aliens to cross our borders,” Mr. Nehls said.
“If this wasn’t bad enough, his DHS is going to hand out IDs to illegal aliens instead of addressing the crisis he created—all at the expense of the American taxpayer. This is unacceptable. Joe Biden should be deporting illegal aliens, not giving them a way to further take advantage of the American people.”
The document claimed the card would replace “the current ad-hoc system,” saving ICE time and resources as officials would be able to quickly verify an illegal immigrant’s status and help them to attend court hearings.
A pilot program was supposed to begin last year, with a feasibility study proposed to evaluate whether the program can be expanded from its pilot phase. The cost of the program was estimated to be $2.5 million.
Illegal Immigrant Influx
The Senate’s version of “No Taxpayer Funds for Illegal Immigrant Identity Cards Act” was introduced by Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on May 14. The GOP lawmaker accused the Biden administration of opening the border and ushering in “an era of unprecedented chaos” in the United States.
“And, now, rather than getting the crisis under control, he wants to use Americans’ money to fund ID cards for illegals,” he said. “Enough. Biden should be deporting illegal immigrants and securing our border, not giving them IDs and making it easier for them to take advantage of taxpayer benefits.”
“Earlier this year, his Administration reached a bipartisan agreement on the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades,” she said. “This bipartisan border legislation would deliver the significant policy changes, resources, and personnel needed to secure our border and make our country safer.”
Republicans blocked the bill a few months back, with many calling the provisions insufficient to secure the border. GOP lawmakers pointed out that the bill does not include restoring former President Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, which many Republicans consider a must-have in any border security legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) admitted the bill was facing opposition from both party members. “I will be honest: I do not expect all Democrats to support this legislation. Many of our colleagues do not support some of the provisions in this legislation, nor do I expect all Republicans to agree to every provision,” he said.
“But that is often how bipartisan legislation must be shaped when dealing with an issue as complex and politically charged as our nation’s immigration laws.”
In a May 19 letter to his colleagues, Mr. Schumer said the chamber would look to pass the bill.