Lawmakers Reveal $118 Billion Bipartisan Deal for Migrant Crisis and Aid Package for Ukraine, Israel, and Allies
Biden ready to make changes to border policies
WASHINGTON – Lawmakers on Sunday revealed a $118 billion package that includes a long-awaited bipartisan deal to address the migrant crisis at the southern border and new aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. allies, embarking on a challenging path forward in the House
Details of the Package
Reports about the agreement have swirled for months, and the text of the bill being released will allow leaders – including those Republicans who have already sworn off the proposal – to evaluate the legislation for themselves.
The 370-page bill includes the supplemental aid package requested by President Joe Biden for foreign conflicts, which would appropriate $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and $10 billion for humanitarian aid, including in Gaza.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he plans to begin the process of considering the legislation this week as “the overwhelming majority of Senators want to get this done.” But the agreement has already faced sharp criticism from former President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders, and its odds of passing in Congress aren’t clear.
Bipartisan Support and Opposition
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Sunday evening that the bill is “even worse than expected” and said it will be “dead on arrival” if it reached the House. Even some Republican senators immediately slammed it: Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said, “I cannot understand how any Republican would think this was a good idea.”
In a call with reporters, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., urged his colleagues to consider it before passing judgment. “Why don’t we actually work through the process to see what (lawmakers) actually step out and say they do support this?” he said.
In a statement released Sunday night, Biden said it is the “toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades” and that he strongly supports it. Schumer called it a “monumental step” and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it includes “direct and immediate solutions” and called upon the Senate to “carefully consider the opportunity in front of us and prepare to act.”
What’s in the Senate’s Border Agreement?
The proposal would expand detention capacity and make it harder for people to qualify for asylum but would allow migrants who can claim credible fear to stay in the country and work.
It includes around $20 billion in additional funding to expand the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to catch, process, house, and transport migrants and to catch people smuggling fentanyl and other narcotics across the border. The plan also makes it easier for multiple DHS agencies to hire additional employees.
The legislation would end a practice known as “catch and release,” in which migrants caught crossing the border illegally are released into the United States while they wait for the government to process their asylum application.
The deal would expand the number of green card-eligible visas every year for the next five years and guarantee that children of H1-B visa holders remain eligible for green cards once they turn 18. It also includes a pathway to citizenship for Afghans who left their country after the Taliban took over.
Perhaps the most controversial element of the bill is a three-year policy to shut down the processing of asylum applications from people who crossed illegally if the number of expulsions and apprehensions of migrants reaches the trigger numbers set in the bill.
Republican Criticism and Hispanic Lawmakers’ Opposition
Negotiators have been debating the contents of the package for months. Originally, Republicans demanded border security legislation in exchange for their support for additional aid for Ukraine. However, as the 2024 election cycle picked up speed, Trump began putting pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other Republicans in Congress to reject the deal.
Despite facing pushback from within his party, Biden has ramped up his support for the package in response. Johnson has told fellow Republicans in the House that the package is “dead on arrival.” But it’s not just House Republicans who oppose the Senate proposal: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has slammed Biden’s support for the package and argued further reform is needed to provide a safe, legal pathway to citizenship for migrants.
