By BETHANY BLANKLEY | THE CENTER SQUARE
A coalition of 26 state attorneys general, including Alaska’s Treg Taylor, is calling on the new U.S. Speaker of the House to pass a Florida-sponsored bill that would grant states the authority to enforce federal immigration law when the federal government refuses to do so.
The AGs, led by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, on Monday. In it, they called on Congress to pass U.S. Rep. Bill Posey’s bill, the Immigration Enforcement Partnership Act. Posey, R-Florida, first filed the measure in 2022 and again in March 2023.
“On day one, [President Joe] Biden began intentionally dismantling our public safety immigration structure,” Moody said. The president and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “have outright ignored federal law, and we have uncovered numerous ‘secret plans’ to allow for the mass release of unvetted and inadmissible migrants,” she said, referring to Florida’s border-related lawsuits against the administration.
The administration’s parole and mass release policies are “not only in direct conflict with federal law, but it has also put Americans’ safety in jeopardy,” Moody said. Despite Florida’s repeated wins in court, Moody said, “more needs to be done. I like to believe we at least slowed the invasion to some degree. However, it is becoming clear that the judicial system is not an adequate battlefield to quickly address the urgent crisis Biden has created.”
Posey on Monday called for Mayorkas to be impeached. In posts on social media, he said, “The border crisis is at unmanageable levels of mass migration. Simply put, Sec. Mayorkas isn’t doing his job. In the real world, if someone fails to do their job, they are fired. Sec Mayorkas has failed at the southern border. I support the initiative to impeach Mayorkas.”
Posey’s bill, HR 1337, would allow state officials to require the DHS secretary to enforce federal immigration law in certain circumstances. It gives DHS the option to enforce the law or deputize state officials to carry out federal immigration duties instead.
According to the bill, state attorneys general would identify how DHS isn’t fulfilling its non-discretionary duties under Title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which includes arresting, detaining and removing criminal and arriving illegal immigrants. It also requires the courts to expedite proceedings related to these actions to the greatest extent practicable, according to a summary of the bill.
If enacted, the measure “authorizes a state attorney general to request in writing that the Department of Homeland Security adequately fulfill certain duties related to immigration enforcement. Within 30 days of receiving such a request, DHS must ensure that such duties are adequately fulfilled by DHS officers and employees or authorize that state’s officials to fulfill such duties. The state attorney general may sue DHS for failure to meet this bill’s requirements,” according to the bill language.
“Maintaining operational control over our borders is critical to our security and our ability to stop drug smugglers, human traffickers, and those on terrorist watch lists, who are invading our country and mean to do harm to our communities,” Posey said when he introduced the bill earlier this year. “When the federal government abdicates its role in securing our nation’s borders and refuses to enforce immigration laws, states should have authority to protect their citizens.”
The AG’s argue in their letter, “Had Congress acted sooner, the U.S. might not be setting yet another record for CBP encounters at the border. We will never know, but if we take action now to give states the authority to do the job Biden and Mayorkas refuse to do, we could prevent another record next year.”
The letter points out that in September alone, enough fentanyl was seized in the Rio Grande area of the Mexico-U.S. border to kill 25 million Americans, or the entire populations of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, and South Dakota combined.
They urged Johnson “to at the very least, expeditiously give” Posey’s bill a hearing.
Joining Moody in the coalition are the attorneys general representing the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The Texas Senate for the third time last month passed a bill that authorizes the state to enforce border security. It would create a new state crime for entering Texas illegally and authorize Texas law enforcement officers to arrest illegal border crossers who enter Texas between ports of entry. The measure has gone nowhere in the state House.
The coalition letter misstates border apprehension data, appearing to confuse southwest border apprehension data with national apprehension data, and underreports the number of known, suspected terrorists who’ve illegally entered the U.S. and been caught.
It states, “record-breaking numbers of inadmissible immigrants flooding in – more than 7 million illegal immigrants have walked freely into the country since Biden took office – including more than 280 individuals encountered on the terrorist watchlist since fiscal year 2021.”
According to official U.S. Customs and Border Protection data and preliminary gotaway data obtained by The Center Square, the numbers are significantly higher.
There were 736 known, suspected terrorists apprehended in fiscal 2023 alone, the highest in recorded history. The majority, 66%, were apprehended at the northern border, The Center Square first reported.
There were nearly 4 million illegal border crossers reported nationwide in fiscal 2023, and over 10 million illegal border crossers reported since January 2021, including gotaways, The Center Square first reported.
There have been roughly 1.7 million gotaways reported since January 2021, although this number is estimated to be closer to 2 million, The Center Square first reported.
Even if, a very big if, something like that got through Congress, Grandpa Bloodstains will veto it.
A saner, wiser move is to determine to support Texas and AZ in their battles. Assuming you can get their legislatures to care.
Imo the constitution says the states can regulate immigration not the federal government.
Feds technically shouldn’t be involved
The dirty little secret here is neither side actually wants the borders controlled. The donor class makes it too lucrative to close it.
They wanna be able to run on it. Fundraise off it. But actually DO something? Since when has congress actually given a damn about the voters?
Better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission. Just do-it because Uncle Joe and company have no intention on stopping the invasion.
I say the same, B! The states should just go ahead and ignore the fe(de)ral government on this matter, and secure the border regardless. I mean, that is what the feds have routinely been doing for years now, but particularly under the Usurper PotatoHead regime: ignoring the law and the Constitution. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Yes and when the courts rule against the states the states should do just like the feds do ignore the courts and thumb their noses at Washington.
Perfect! Better late than never. I wonder why this wasn’t thought about a long time ago, but I am grateful that this is happening now! My KUDOS our AG Treg Taylor. Thank you!
It is already too late just look at the protests and the threats from the Palestinian based groups. Hamas started the violence and now they want it to stop. It don’t work that way you start a war your in it to the end. We have and are going to have some serious problems and violence from these groups thanks to our government who is supposed to protect us. Life in America will never be the same secure place it once was.
Mark
Technically Hamas didn’t start the violence.
Apparently A Jewish security guard killed a muslim late 1800 during a wedding.
A person could say it started before that
Or it really got going when Israel subjected itself onto Palestinian territory after 1945
With the help of world powers.
Your knowledge of history is as bad as your “logic”. Meaning non existent.
Mark, who ever told you that history was a bit off. Might want to take a little time to search YouTube to learn what really happened. I recommend you look at videos that are older than the October 7 attack since there appears to be a lot of revisionist history. October 6th there was peace, October 7 Hamas slottered 1400+ people and filmed it so people would know exactly what kind of terrorist they are.
The story goes back over 3,000 years to father Abraham who had two wives and each gave him a son. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael and Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
May 14, 1948, Brittan gave the land to the Jews and that is when the modern State of Israel was established. Jews have had historical and religious connections to the Land of Israel for thousands of years aka decendants of Abraham and Isaac.
Also ya
You need to read my comment again. I am saying that thanks to our government we and Western Europe are in line for some of the same Israel is suffering. I know the history of the Middle East and how the boundary’s were made.
American
So who crossed who’s border and started shooting everybody? You need to understand when somebody does what hamas did there will be a response just look at the US after 911. We invaded 2 countries and did not let public opinion stop us.
Why DID these leaders wait!!!!? The Southern border states should had made this Request in 2021. It’s almost 2024. Jeee l’wheez! Then those southern leaders made themselves look dumb busing migrants into northern blue states. Those states leaderships should had gone to their state’s national delegation representatives and got this going in 2021.
The US is a republic and States have rights! We should not need to be “granted” that right.
After all, states have the right to allow abortions, w/o asking to be “granted” that right!
States have rights, but Dunleavy just sits on his thumbs and won’t enforce Alaska’s sovereign rights!
It’s the ONLY way states can take control of all of these illegal’s!!! The Federal Government sure as hell won’t! Americans with power does NOT fit the government’s narrative! God Bless America 🇺🇸
Pretty sure the States don’t need the federal government’s permission to enforce the law.
I think regarding powers the Constitution reserves for the government they do.
Border security has been determined a federal responsibility in the past.
Historically the feds WERE responsible….. until Uncle Sniffy screwed not only the border but everything in his path.
When the feds fail this miserably if the states don’t have a right to defend themselves from a major invasion they damn well should have. Its called Self Defense from Joe.
“The Quicker F**kerupper”
Never happen. I don’t believe anyone in dc gives a damn about us or our country, just the grift. Always protect the grift.
Lol. Oh you people are hilarious. So far as Alaska goes, you need to be more worried about Russia taking over, starting with Alaska. If you don’t think it can happen, then you better wake up… however.
Lucky for the First Peoples, Russia might step up and take over, for a minute. Then that Birthright owner of Russia will step up. Hello. Lol. Hand Alaska back to the First Peoples and point to Russia to go home. We have much to discuss…
That’s what is going to come to pass…count on it!
Sleezy Joe IS the root cause of this entire problem.
He follows order too well…
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