NW Washington News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) issued the below statement in response to the expiration of Title 42 authority, which allowed the U.S. to quickly expel migrants from its borders to contain the spread of COVID-19, and GOP efforts to pass H.R. 2, the Child Deportation Act.

“Public health policy is not a substitute for U.S. immigration policy,” said Larsen. “The GOP’s Child Deportation Act fails to provide a serious solution while introducing cruel measures to vilify and punish vulnerable immigrants and asylum seekers. 

“Congress should instead work on developing a comprehensive, humane immigration reform package that establishes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, improves security, invests in much-needed infrastructure improvements at ports of entry, and increases funding and resources for organizations supporting migrants in border communities.” 

Larsen’s Support for Immigration Reform 

Larsen supports several commonsense measures to reform U.S. immigration policy: 

·        Larsen supports the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2023 to establish a pathway to citizenship for many undocumented immigrants, eliminate per-country employment visa caps and better address root causes of immigration. 

·        In March, Larsen joined more than 100 House Democrats to urge the Biden administration to maintain its commitment to end the practice of detaining families and children.

·        Larsen supports Rep. Veronica Escobar’s (TX-16) Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations request for 460 processing assistants at the U.S.-Mexico border and Rep. Hillary Scholten’s (MI-03) appropriations request to increase funding to protect unaccompanied children.  

·        Last Congress, Larsen supported: 

o   The American Dream and Promise Act to establish a path to lawful permanent resident status for Dreamers and for certain individuals who were eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). 

o   The Farm Workforce Modernization Act to reform the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. 

·        In 2021, Larsen supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests $3.4 billion over five years to modernize land ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada border.  

Larsen Has Visited U.S.-Mexico Border Twice in 2023 

This year, Larsen has visited the U.S.-Mexico border twice to better understand how U.S. immigration policy impacts migrants, law enforcement officials, nonprofit organizations and border communities.  

“My visits to the U.S.-Mexico border have informed my view of what the U.S. needs to do to ensure our borders and immigration system can meet an unprecedented volume of migrants,” said Larsen.  

Larsen’s visits include: 

·        Brownsville, Texas (May 2023) - Last week, Larsen and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) met with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents at the Brownsville Gateway International Bridge, one of the busiest pedestrian and non-commercial ports of entry in the Rio Grande Valley. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Cameron County, Texas, was recently awarded a $130 million federal grant to upgrade the bridge, an investment that will improve the flow of traffic, keep the economy moving, and help U.S. Customs and Border Protection staff ensure a safer U.S.-Mexico border. 

·        El Paso, Texas (February 2023) – In February, Larsen joined Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16) to meet with migrants sheltered at Sacred Heart Church, see the conditions unaccompanied migrant children face and learn how U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents were preparing for the expiration of Title 42. Larsen also visited the Bridge of the Americas, one of the busiest ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly for passenger vehicles. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $600 million to modernize the Bridge of the Americas, which processes toll-free inbound and outbound commercial, non-commercial and pedestrian traffic to and from El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. 

Additional Information 

For more information on the GOP’s Child Deportation Act, click here.

Original source can be found here.