October 27, 2023

NDC Immigration and Border Security Task Force Chair Stanton Leads Letter Calling for Swift Consideration of Administration’s Border Security Request

Chair Stanton’s letter follows New Dem Leadership’s endorsement of the President’s supplemental request last week

Today, New Democrat Coalition Immigration and Border Security Task Force Chair Greg Stanton (AZ-04) led 34 New Dem Members in a letter to Congressional leadership calling on the Senate to quickly bring a bipartisan border security package reflecting President Biden’s supplemental request to the floor.

Throughout the 118th Congress, New Dems have called on the Administration and House leadership to advance additional funding to streamline immigration processes, secure the border, and tackle the fentanyl crisis. 

“Border communities can’t wait any longer – they need the federal government to step up,” Chair Stanton said. “The President’s request directs unprecedented resources to secure the border and crack down on deadly fentanyl. New Dems stand ready to reach across the aisle to get it done.”

The letter reads in part:

“As members of the New Democrat Coalition, we understand emergency funding is necessary to secure our border, ensure a humane and orderly immigration process, and stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States… Securing our nation’s southern border is a bipartisan goal, and the shared responsibility of all members of Congress. We ask that you swiftly bring this important package to a vote in the Senate.”

You can read the full letter to Congressional leadership here and below:

Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, Minority Leaders McConnell, and Jefferies, 

We urge you to quickly bring a bipartisan border security package reflecting the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 emergency supplemental request to the Senate floor. As members of the New Democrat Coalition, we understand emergency funding is necessary to secure our border, ensure a humane and orderly immigration process, and stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

President Biden has put forth a strong and comprehensive border security package in his supplemental request. The requested $13.6 billion investment would:

  • Increase boots on the ground at the border. The request ensures the Department of Homeland Security has the additional resources and personnel to accomplish their mission of maintaining border security while assisting refugees and processing migrants, including funds to hire an additional 1,300 border patrol agents.

  • Improve the processing of asylum cases. The request includes funding to hire 375 new immigration judge teams and 1,600 asylum officers to tackle the significant backlog straining our immigration courts that has severely delayed resolutions, often for years at a time.

  • Support local governments and nonprofits. The request includes $1.4 billion for the depleted Shelter and Services Program which reimburses already-overstretched local governments and nonprofits who provide essential resources to recently released migrants.

  • Address the fentanyl crisis. The request includes funding to hire an additional 1,000 officers focused on counter-fentanyl efforts and to purchase cutting-edge technology to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Deaths related to the use of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have risen by nearly 200% in the past decade, affecting nearly every American community in the process. Each of these investments will reduce illicit fentanyl trafficking and save lives.

Securing our nation’s southern border is a bipartisan goal, and the shared responsibility of all members of Congress. We ask that you swiftly bring this important package to a vote in the Senate.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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