Ex-US Border Official Says Senate Supplemental Bill Does Little to End Border Crisis

EL PASO, February 6 (Sputnik) - The US Senate's bipartisan deal on the Ukraine aid-border security bill does little to address the crisis on the United States' border with Mexico, former US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello told Sputnik.

On Sunday, the Senate released a $118 billion national security supplemental bill that includes some $60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine, $14 billion in aid for Israel and some $20 billion for border security, among other priorities. US House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected the measure, saying it would be "dead on arrival" if it reaches the House of Representatives.

"That's not taking people [migrants] out of the pipeline, that still advantages organized crime, that still incentivizes people that get in the pipeline, the smugglers are going to take advantage of that," Vitiello said of the bill.

Vitiello, who is running for the US Senate from the state of Virginia, said it looks doubtful that the bill will pass Congress.

The proposed legislation has received much backlash from Republicans and even from several Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives over disagreements on the border policy measures, which makes the future of the legislation uncertain.

According to Senator James Lankford, who is one of the key Republican negotiators on the supplemental bill, the changes to US border policy proposed in the bill include limits on the use of parole catch-and-release at the border that is expected to stop more than half-a-million border crossings each year.

The proposed legislation would also include enhanced measures to deport migrants who enter the United States illegally, tighter restrictions on US asylum eligibility for migrants, $650 million to build more border wall and a mandated shutdown of the border to illegal migrants when the daily average number of illegal crossings exceeds 5,000.

"Under this new authority, you still have to make it to the port [of entry]," Vitiello said. "That's going to be an advantage for the cartels because they control the traffic, they control the pipeline, all the corrupt cops, all of the smugglers, all of the people that stuffed them [migrants] into tractor trailers. Those people [migrants] are still going to be at risk."

Vitiello pointed out that no laws were changed under former President Donald Trump and he was able to get illegal immigration down to 50 year lows on the US border with Mexico.

The White House has rejected the idea that the US president should take unilateral executive action to secure the border.

The CBP documented more than 302,000 migrant encounters in December, marking the highest single-month figure ever recorded. The Biden administration has also experienced three consecutive years of record numbers of illegal migration on the southern border.

'Unfortunate' Texas Needs to Secure Southern Border After Biden Refuses

The unfortunate thing about the migrant crisis in the United States is that Texas has to step up efforts to secure the US border with Mexico as a result of the Biden administration's refusal to do so, according to Vitiello.

"I think it's unfortunate that Texas has to do what the administration refuses to do to secure the border," Vitiello said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has spent more than $4 billion to boost border security and combat illegal immigration in the region over the last three years.

President Joe Biden's decision to rescind former President Donald Trump's border security policies, such as the so-called "Remain in Mexico" policy, is what created the current crisis, Vitiello said.

"Joe Biden took over 45 year lows in activity [on the US southern border]," Vitiello said. "To fix that, you don't need Congress to act. After they've ripped everything down, they refuse to fix it now."

The state of Texas is currently in court battles with the Biden administration over differences on border policy.

The US Supreme Court recently ruled that federal agents can cut razor wire fencing the Texas National Guard placed on miles of the state's border with Mexico to stop migrants from entering the United States illegally between ports of entry. Border Patrol agents cut the razor wire to let migrants into the United States so they can be processed.

Moreover, the Biden administration is asking the Supreme Court to intervene in the Texas National Guard's efforts to block federal agents from patrolling a section of the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, which has long been a hot spot for illegal migration until recently. Texas' enforcement actions have stopped the heavy surge of illegal immigration in that area.

Texas' efforts in Eagle Pass have "obviously made a difference," Vitiello said.

Biden Campaign Becoming Aware Border Top Issue Among US Voters

Vitielo also suggested that the latest votes in the US primary elections have revealed to the Biden campaign that voters consider border security the top issue of concern.

"They [Biden campaign] now know after New Hampshire and Iowa that it [immigration] is the number one issue in the minds of voters ... He has the lowest rating ever on it. And they continue to do the same thing," Vitiello said.