Statement of Administration Policy: Senate Amendment to H.R. 268 - End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act

(Senate)
(Sen. Shelby, R-AL)

The Administration supports passage of the Senate amendment to H.R. 268, sponsored by Senator Shelby, the End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act. Most importantly, this commonsense, compromise legislation addresses the immediate security and humanitarian crisis at our southern border. It also provides legal certainty for hundreds of thousands of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, provides additional disaster relief to impacted communities, immediately reopens the Federal Government and funds it through the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2019, and sets the stage for broader, permanent immigration reforms.

To physically secure our southern border, the bill includes $5.7 billion for a steel barrier system, including embedded investments in technology and roads, in the priority areas on the southern border designated by professionals from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In addition, this legislation provides critical funding to address several other needs at our southern border, including:

• $800 million in humanitarian assistance, medical support, and new temporary housing;

• $805 million for technology, canines, and personnel to help stop the flow of illegal drugs,weapons, and other contraband;

• $782 million to hire an additional 2,750 border agents, law enforcement officers, andstaff;

• $4.2 billion for space to detain those who are apprehended entering the Nation illegallyand who may pose a threat to the safety and security of our communities;

• $563 million to support the immigration court system, including funding to hire 75 newimmigration judge teams to reduce the immigration court backlog of over 800,000 cases;and

• a new system to allow Central American minors to apply for asylum in their homecountries, and reforms to promote family reunification for unaccompanied children.

In order to build the trust, goodwill, and bipartisan support necessary to begin real immigration reform, the Shelby Amendment provides three years of legislative relief for approximately 700,000 DACA recipients brought to the United States unlawfully as children by their parents. This relief would prevent these DACA recipients from being deported and continue to allow them access to work permits and Social Security numbers. This legislation also provides a three-year extension of TPS for the over 300,000 immigrants whose protected status is currently facing expiration.

In addition, the Shelby Amendment provides appropriations for FY 2019 that would immediately reopen the Federal Government for the American people, and provides disaster relief to impacted communities. While the Administration remains concerned with the overall discretionary funding levels included in this bill, and with disaster spending that is unnecessary and premature, it supports this compromise approach as part of legislation that addresses the crises at the southern border.

If the Shelby Amendment to H.R. 268 were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign the bill into law.