A provision buried 753 pages deep into the 2023 omnibus bill blocks the Department of Homeland Security from using a new round of funding for enforcing America’s immigration laws.
Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee pointed out that in the bill, both Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are barred from using a combined $1.9 billion for immigration enforcement in a Tuesday tweet.
On Page 753 of the 4,155-page “omnibus” spending bill is a short but damning provision—DHS gets $1.9 billion dollars for “border management”, BUT they are explicitly prohibited from using it for border security.? pic.twitter.com/iWKROYL4VP
— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) December 20, 2022
ICE and CBP are barred from using federal funds for enforcement in two different ways.
The legislation requires ICE to use its $339 million for “non-detention border management requirements.”
This means they can’t build new facilities to actually detain the illegal aliens who infiltrate the border.
They’ll have to use the money for procedures that involve releasing them into American communities — such as programs that provide illegals with free cellphones as they await their immigration court day.
The funding restriction on CBP’s $1.56 billion rules out the agency from investing in its central function.
The agency cannot use the funds to “acquire, maintain, or extend border security technology and capabilities.”
A separate provision on page 696 of the omnibus authorizes $230 million for these technologies, a sum that pales in comparison to the funds cordoned off from such a use.
This blocks CBP from spending the greater sum of money on more of former President Donald Trump’s border wall, new surveillance cameras at the border, sensors, drones, and probably even new equipment for frontline Border Patrol agents.
In other words, if it would be effective in actually catching illegals, you can forget about funding it.
You would think that federal agencies tasked with enforcing the law would use every resource available for… enforcing the law.
The problem is that Democrats envision DHS and the Border Patrol as concierge services for the resettlement of illegal migrants in American communities.
Any time you hear Democrats talk about what they are doing to “address the crisis”, that’s code language for “making sure migrants don’t have to wait in long lines that news cameras can see”.
— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) December 20, 2022
In a sick twist, the congressional leaders that crafted the omnibus behemoth didn’t completely forget to fund border security. Of other countries, that is.
Congress is making $410 million available to the nations of Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Tunisia for “enhanced border security.”
…but at the same time, allocates $410 million towards border security for Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman.
America Last in action. pic.twitter.com/KSkgtTEtmL
— Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) December 20, 2022
Another funding restriction on ICE prevents the agency from spending the 2023 funds on flight time — a method to prevent ICE from upping international deportation flights as an unprecedented tidal wave of illegals assails the border.
Congress is providing an exception for ICE to pay for domestic flights for the aliens, though.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.