By Steve Neavling
The labor union that represents Border Patrol agents and the acting CBP chief threw their weight behind a bipartisan Senate border security bill on Monday, but House Republicans appear poised to block it.
The National Border Patrol Council, which represents more than 18,000 agents, said the legislation would “drop illegal border crossings nationwide and will allow our agents to get back to detecting and apprehending those who want to cross our border illegally and evade apprehension,” NBC News reports.
The endorsement is important because the union previously endorsed former President Donald Trump and is a frequent critic of President Joe Biden’s border policies.
“While not perfect, the Border Act of 2024 is a step in the right direction and is far better than the current status quo,” Brandon Judd, president of the council, said in the statement. “This is why the National Border Patrol Council endorses this bill and hopes for its quick passage.”
But Republicans are already pledging to kill the bill, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his leadership team called the legislation a “waste of time,” saying the legislation will be “dead on arrival.”
The bipartisan deal revamps the asylum program, allocates resources for the hiring of thousands of new immigration officers, grants the president authority to close the border in emergencies, and finances foreign aid initiatives overseas.
