House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said this weekend that he opposed a proposed immigration overhaul accepted by leaders of both parties in the Senate. Johnson’s rejection of the plan likely means that it would be unable to pass a vote in the House of Representatives.
On social media, the speaker wrote “absolutely not” to a Fox News screenshot of the bill’s highlights.
Absolutely not. pic.twitter.com/tkXma24r8M
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 13, 2024
The effort for a bipartisan immigration bill was headed by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK). As part of the compromise, there would be increased funding for border security and for Ukraine. However, many Republicans rejected most of the elements of the bill.
The proposal, also backed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), would increase the number of green cards to reside legally in the country by 50,000 per year. It would also grant work permits for the adult children of those holding H-1B visas.
It would allow for work permits for each illegal alien released from law enforcement custody and fund attorneys for some migrant groups.
The bill would also allow for 5,000 migrants to enter the United States per day. The bill would also restrict parole for those who entered the country illegally.
Johnson’s opposition to the prospective deal came almost immediately after Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) announced his concerns over the bill.
The rejection of the proposed bill came after federal law enforcement officials announced that December 2023 saw the highest month of attempted border crossings in history. The more than 300,000 migrant encounters by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) set last year as the nation’s record high.
The previous fiscal year had seen another record-high of the number of migrants attempting to enter the country. Since the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, almost 800,000 migrants attempted to cross the border.
It is unclear how much support there is for the proposal in the Senate. However, the rejection of the speaker may mean that the effort will not even reach a floor vote in the House.
