Democrats Plan to Spend $870 Million on Border Security in Middle East - $0 for Southern Border Wall
Since President Joe Biden took office, the United States has experienced an increasingly serious crisis at the southern border. Even as the situation continues to deteriorate, leftist politicians have put addressing the border crisis firmly at the bottom of their to-do list.
House Democrats released their proposed budget for the Department of Homeland Security Tuesday, and it includes plenty of giveaways for friends and allies, according to Breitbart, but nothing for one of the most effective ways to address the surge of illegal immigration into the country.
Breitbart reported that the proposed budget reduces funding for Customs and Border Protection by a whopping $930 million. Funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement would also be cut by $1.5 million compared to this year fiscal year.
In addition, the budget provides absolutely no funding for the wall at the southern border. Construction on that wall began under former President Donald Trump, and $2.06 billion had been designated as funds for the wall under his watch.
Meanwhile, the Democrats’ proposed budget for the Department of Defense reveals plans to spend massive sums of money for border security in other countries.
Democrats have proposed spending $370 million in reimbursements to the Middle Eastern countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman for “enhanced border security.”
According to the budget, the secretary of defense simply has to inform Congress before sending money to these countries and provide an update each quarter about how the funds are being used.
On top of that $370 million, the budget proposes an additional $500 million be sent to Jordan “to support the armed forces…and to enhance security along its borders.”
All told, the United States could spend up to $870 million in enhanced border security efforts for Middle Eastern countries. Breitbart reported. Meanwhile, they would not spend a dime on a border wall for America.
Going back to the DHS budget, one might be wondering about actual border security for the U.S. Fear not, the left has another woke idea to use your tax dollars for.
“[T]he budget shifts funds of $132 million for ‘new technology’ along the border, a longtime talking point of Democrats and establishment Republicans who argue that a virtual wall is more feasible than physical barriers that stop or deter border crossers,” Breitbart wrote.
This makes absolutely no sense. Physical barriers have proven to be effective in keeping out unwanted intruders for thousands of years. On the other hand, a “virtual wall” is a rather fringe idea that may or may not succeed. It seems pretty clear which one is more reliable.
Democrats also want to shift funds around to fit their agenda in the already slashed budget for ICE. They proposed taking away $332 million from Civil Immigration Enforcement Operations. In turn, according to Breitbart, they want to spend $475 million “to expand alternatives to detention for illegal aliens that more easily allows detainees to be released into the U.S. interior.”
One alternative would be to bar illegal immigrants from entering the country in the first place. Instead, the left is more concerned with improving the lives of people who blatantly defy America’s laws.
In fact, the news release announcing the budget plan makes a point of saying it: “Respects the dignity of immigrants with new funding to improve migrant processing and reduce backlogs in refugee, asylum, and immigration benefit applications.”
The proposed budget also “prevents ICE agents from deporting an illegal alien who applies to sponsor an Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) and illegal aliens whose only criminal history is possession of marijuana.”
House Democrats want to allow illegal immigrants to stay in the country even if they commit additional drug crimes on top of their initial crime of unlawful entry into the country.
These budget proposals are just more unfortunate examples of the left’s “America last” mentality. Instead of securing our borders and focusing on the safety of Americans, Democrats want to prioritize other countries while allowing criminals to enter and remain in our own.
Instead of organizing photo ops as fellow Democrats deem ravaged border regions “the new Ellis Island,” the Biden administration needs to take serious action to protect American citizens.
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