House Republicans passed a big, hawkish border package on Thursday evening — ahead of the end of a pandemic policy allowing the rapid expulsion of migrants and asylum seekers.
Why it matters: It's unlikely to go anywhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But the politics are clear — holding up a wishlist of harsh policies as federal law enforcement, humanitarian groups and local officials across the country grapple with a surge in migrants and asylum seekers.
How we got here: Republicans in leadership and several committees have spent months piecing the package together and whipping support.
- After a final, tumultuous Rules Committee meeting on Wednesday, the bill passed 219-213 on Thursday.
- President Biden has already made clear he would veto the package if it made it to his desk.
The details: The package is chock-full of former President Trump's most controversial policies that would ramp up deportations and detention while significantly cutting off asylum access.
- It would cut federal funding for NGOs that are relied on to provide initial shelter and care for migrants and asylum seekers who have recently crossed the border.
- These groups are often critical for ensuring Border Patrol stations and city shelters are not overrun when border numbers surge.
The big picture: Border crossings have already exceeded 10,000 a day as a border policy enabling the rapid expulsion of hundreds of thousands migrants, called Title 42, ends Thursday.
- Border Patrol shelters are already beyond capacity, and cities across the U.S. have had to surge resources for migrant care.
- Tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers are estimated to still be waiting in northern Mexico, ready to cross.
