Republican Senator Graham called on the Biden administration to deport migrants en masse, saying "America is full."
“We’re asking the administration to use Section 42-style powers to tell migrants, ‘Our country is full.’ I think that’s going to be a key step,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said in an interview on December 31.
Section 42 is an emergency health order issued by President Donald Trump in 2020 to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing US officials to quickly deport migrants apprehended at the US-Mexico border and restrict the flow of immigration into the country.
“It takes four years for asylum to be approved. There are 1.7 million people who would be deported under Section 42, and the Biden administration has not deported them,” Graham added. “The authority to invoke Section 42 is in the hands of anyone who is willing to use it to stop migrants. When they come to our country, say, ‘Sorry, we have enough people here.’”
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham interviewed on December 31. Photo: CBS
Mr Graham's comments came as negotiations on Capitol Hill over a budget package to address border issues, as well as aid to Ukraine and Israel, have stalled as Democrats and Republicans have been unable to reach an agreement on immigration.
"I just want to enforce the law. The asylum laws are being abused, let's change them," Graham said in the interview. "Section 42 powers need to be reintroduced with the view that America has enough people. 1.7 million people need to be deported. Let's deport them before we open the door to new people."
Senator Graham, a staunch supporter of international aid to US allies, said immigration remained a top priority. “I can’t go back to my state and talk about aid to Ukraine, Israel if border security is broken,” he said.
The Biden administration recently sent top officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, to the Mexican capital to promote solutions to reduce the number of migrants arriving at the US southern border.
Graham also said that if Mr. Trump returns to the White House, immigrants will face a scenario of "mass deportation."
In 2019, Mr. Trump made headlines with a social media post warning that he would close the border or impose tariffs if Mexico did not arrest illegal immigrants. "We have enough people in our country," the US president declared at the time.
Huyen Le (According to Hill , Politico , CBS )
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