Washington, D.C.—Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch objected to the President’s $3.6 billion request for new spending, saying the measure did nothing to put in place reforms to adequately address the burgeoning crisis along our nation’s southern border.  The Senate defeated the emergency supplemental request yesterday evening by a 50-44 vote.

“The Administration has repeatedly disregarded U.S. immigration laws in pursuit of its own immigration agenda,” said Crapo.  “The crisis we are seeing along our nation’s southern border is a direct consequence of the President’s end-run around Congress to enact immigration reform, in particular the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  The supplemental request before the Senate lacked the proper assurances that the additional resources would be used to enforce the law and strengthen our border.  In addition, the Senate Majority Leader blocked all amendments, including those to put in place real reforms that would ensure our immigration laws do not incentivize continued illegal immigration.” 

“The U.S. is experiencing a tragedy along its border which did not need to happen,” said Risch. “President Obama can fix this, but his proposal for $3.6 billion was a bad deal. It throws good money after bad, and it ignores the policy changes that are required to solve this humanitarian crisis.”

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was an executive action issued in 2012. Implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, DACA prevents the agency from initiating deportation proceedings on illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. before they were 16 years old and have lived in the U.S. for five years since their arrival.  This policy, among others, has encouraged an influx of unaccompanied children attempting to cross the border.  This year alone, nearly 60,000 unaccompanied minors have entered the U.S. illegally, and that number is expected to dramatically increase.

Crapo and Risch previously called on the President to take direct action in dispelling misinformation regarding U.S. immigration policies and firmly enforce the law along our nation’s border.  Read the letter here.