YOHO VOTES TO SECURE BORDER AND END ADMINISTRATIVE AMNESTY

Washington, DC- Congressman Ted S. Yoho (R-FL-03) voted in favor of border strengthening legislation as well as a bill to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Both bills were redrafted and strengthened after House Conservatives expressed concern over loopholes in the original language. Congressman Yoho is a cosponsor of Congresswoman Blackburn’s DACA legislation in an effort to stop the President’s administrative amnesty. Congressman Yoho gave the following statement after his vote.

"This combination of bills strengthens the border, allows governors to mobilize their National Guard, and stops loopholes in our current immigration law. The border bill is a stronger bill than we had before us yesterday, and combined with the bill that ends administrative amnesty is a strong signal to the White House and the Senate that the House of Representatives will not tolerate the flagrant dismissal of our rule of law.
 
“We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. To allow folks to cut in line flies in the face of the very foundation of our country—the American Dream. The American Dream is built on the notion that if you work hard and follow the rule of law, you will find success regardless of your country of origin, economic status, gender, or religion. The combination of bills today stops the President from using his pen to circumvent the rule of law to give amnesty and gives our border the protection it needs."
 
 
 
Summary of House Border Crisis Supplemental Package
 

Funding Included in H.R.5230
 
·      Funding is offset by rescinding unobligated funds from accounts in DHS, DoD, DoJ, and Foreign Aid.
 
·      $405 million for the Department of Homeland Security to boost border security and law enforcement activities.
 
·      $22 million to accelerate judicial proceedings for immigrants.
 
·      $70 million for National Guard border efforts: $35 million for the federal deployment of the Guard and $35 million for reimbursing states for their use of the Guard on the Southern Border.
 
·      $197 million for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide temporary housing and humanitarian assistance to unaccompanied minors.
 
·      $40 million in repatriation assistance to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. This funding is redirected from within existing foreign aid for Central American countries so that these repatriation activities are immediately prioritized.
 
 
 
Policy Proposals included in H.R.5230
 
·      No Amnesty
 
·      Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 so all unaccompanied alien children (UACs) are treated the same as Mexicans and Canadians for the purpose of removals. UACs who have a credible fear of persecution or who have been trafficked must appear before an immigration judge within 14 days of their initial screening and shall be detained until their appearance.
 
·      Provides authority for the Secretary of State to negotiate agreements with foreign countries regarding UACs, which include protections for children who are returned to their country of nationality.
 
·      Includes a “last-in, first-out” policy that priorities the removal of minors that most recently arrived.
 
·      Authorizes additional temporary judges to help address the increase in traffic on the southern border.
 
·      Change the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen the law prohibiting criminals with serious drug related convictions from applying for asylum.
 
·      Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) from denying or restricting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) activities on federal land under their respective jurisdictions.
 
·      Authorizes the deployment of National Guard to the Southern border.
 
·      Expresses the “Sense of Congress” that the Secretary of Defense should not house unauthorized aliens at military installations unless certain specific conditions are met
 
·      Prohibits the housing of unauthorized immigrants on military bases if the use of the military instillation will displace members of the Armed Forces on active duty or interfere with military activities at the installation.