Proposed bill backed by Democrats would let immigrants claim benefits as climate refugees
Mayorkas told border agents that 'above 85%' of migrants released into US: Sources
Rep. John James, R-Mich., joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the Biden administration's handling of the migrant surge and the White House's stance on Secretary Austin's secretive hospital stay.
America’s borders are being overrun. A record number of suspected terrorists, migrants from special-interest nations, and alarming amounts of deadly fentanyl are crossing our border – and this is still just a fraction of who and what is slipping past law enforcement.
Yet, Democrats want to open our homeland to more and more immigrants, regardless of their countries of origin and motivations for entry, in one of the most radical immigration-related proposals we have seen to date in Washington, D.C.
Two congressional Democrats recently reintroduced the "Climate Displaced Persons Act," which would entitle immigrants who are "compelled to leave [their] habitual home ... due to a climate-related environmental disaster" to claim the same American assistance and benefits afforded to refugees.
If enacted into law, this legislation would continue to compromise the future of our nation as our officials progressively incentivize unlimited, and largely unvetted, immigration into the United States.
Migrants who crossed the border through the Rio Bravo from Mexico into the U.S. wait next to the U.S. border wall where U.S. Border Patrol agents stand guard on March 30, 2023, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Getty Images)
While this bill isn’t likely to be passed out of Congress any time soon, the policy is championed, and essentially enacted, by executive fiat from the Biden administration. In October 2021, the White House issued its "Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration," setting several things into motion on this front.
A December 2023 White House fact sheet highlighting the U.S. Agency for International Development’s "Climate Strategy" from April 2022 noted, "the need to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to climate-related migration and scale support to migrants and their communities."
The U.S. Department of State also released objectives this past summer, one of which was to, "strengthen and expand the protection of refugees and migrants in situations of vulnerability affected by climate change."
These building blocks prove that, regardless of congressional action to codify these immigration enhancements, federal bureaucrats are barnstorming over the rule of law and the Constitution, which is par for the course for this administration, as we have seen time and again.
Many Democrats, including the current commander-in-chief, consider climate change to be the top crisis facing our nation and world. Because of this flawed moral compass, they believe that the ends justify the means, and that our Constitution, laws and national fabric and unity can be jettisoned in the name of responding to this "crisis."
This is why they are attempting to introduce these climate change-related pathways into our country. Some consequences from their schemes will be felt immediately, but most will be reserved for future generations of Americans.
There are varying definitions and standards for what constitutes a "climate change crisis," which computes endless possibilities for countries of origin of "displaced migrants."
Think of America’s adversaries around the world – especially China, Russia and Iran. Those nations are likely on some "crisis" list. Other countries of concern to ours, such as Afghanistan, Syria and South Sudan, are also on the lists.
Dec. 12, 2023: Migrants are processed in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Fox News)
As relations deteriorate with many countries and regions around the world, do we really want to welcome more immigrants into our country from those troubled areas – solely on the basis and subjective claim that they are fleeing a politically defined crisis? I don’t think so.
The sad reality of the real crisis facing our nation – the lawlessness at America’s southern border – is that we have little room to expand lawful and sensible systems of immigration with the massive influx of illegal immigrants already coming across each year.
In the just-completed fiscal year, almost 2.5 million aliens were encountered at the southern border, beating out the already historic numbers from the previous year. These figures do not take into account the millions of ‘gotaways’ crossing the border and escaping detection under the ‘watchful’ eyes of this administration.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Illegal immigrants – and those in our government who aid and abet their actions through lack of enforcement or oversight – are creating an unfair situation for those who may need and deserve entry into the United States more than others.
If enacted into law, this legislation would continue to compromise the future of our nation as our officials progressively incentivize unlimited, and largely unvetted, immigration into the United States.
The United States will always be a nation of immigrants and a country that stands above many others in allowing men, women, and children to shelter within our borders. Our laws demand, though, that immigrants enter our nation through an ordered, legal process.
Our rich history of being the "Shining City on a Hill" for countless immigrants also demands that we take care to vet the individuals coming into our country and ensure that the numbers and identities do not compromise the future for our grandchildren.
That’s why I’m fighting against illegal immigration and radical attempts to transform our immigration system with bills such as the Climate Displaced Persons Act.
We must make sure that we enforce our laws and that we do not set up our immigration systems for continued exploitation by people who should not be in our nation. The future of our country depends on the decisions we make on these fronts.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. DEBBIE LESKO
Republican Debbie Lesko represents Arizona's 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
