Former Rep. Tom Suozzi has become the latest local Democrat to plead with President Biden and congressional leaders for federal help from the immigrant crisis straining New York’s budget.
“The problem has been overcome in New York city, New York state, and other states by the federal government because they have failed to address this issue for so long,” Suozzi, 61, told reporters on Tuesday at a news conference where he revealed two letters he wrote to Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
“It’s just reaching epic proportions now,” Suozzi continued. “What we really need to do is create this urgency so that the federal government does its job and passes a comprehensive solution. I am trying to raise the temperature on this issue.”
Suozzi, who is trying to win back the Third District seat he’s held for six years in a Feb. 13 special election to replace Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who lied, tried to cheer up Biden in his letter by praising his stewardship of the economy and foreign affairs before asking him to take a bigger role in solving the problem.
Tom Suozzi served in the House from 2017 to 2023. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“I am asking you to propose a comprehensive and simple solution that finally secures our borders and recognizes the hardship and suffering that has resulted from the federal government’s decades-long failure to address this very real problem,” he wrote.
Democrats want to inaugurate a “comprehensive complex at the border,” similar to Ellis Island, to improve processing of immigrants and tap more judges to hear asylum cases to reduce the backlog.
Suozzi’s appeal sheds light on the dynamics driving what is expected to be a tight race against Republican Mazi Pilip to replace Santos, who was fired from Congress Dec. 1.
President Biden offered some border security reforms as part of his additional requests, but Republicans argued they were insufficient, sparking negotiations. AP
A march of local Democratic party officials has voiced displeasure with Biden’s handling of the immigration crisis, with local leaders such as New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urging the feds to step up.
Adams has publicly complained about Biden not holding meetings with him about the crisis, even though the Big Apple has taken in more than 161,000 immigrants over the past 18 months, according to city officials.
At the same time, Biden has faced jitters from progressives over a deal the White House helped negotiate that would increase spending on border security as part of a broader package that also includes additional aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Migrants walk in a caravan headed for the United States, from the city of Escuintla, Mexico. Juan Manuel Blanco/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“I would like to see the president make this a priority,” Suozzi said of negotiations on the spending plan. “I believe it is the main issue in the Senate now. We need to do the same in the House.”
In his letter to Johnson and Jeffries, Suozzi asked that “the House of Representatives implement a more formal process to foster good faith negotiations and cooperation with the Senate.”
So far, the deal has been negotiated in the Senate, where lawmakers have struggled to iron out differences over how to deal with the influx of asylum seekers. In particular, a key point is the so-called “parole” policy, which allows immigrants to enter the US while their asylum requests are being played out in court, according to Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) has been the leading Republican in the upper chamber’s negotiations on an immigration deal. Getty Images
The three main negotiators, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), discussed the issue remotely during the winter break and have restarted discussions in Washington, DC .
During fiscal year 2023, which ends on September 30, more than 2.47 million encounters with immigrants were reported along the US-Mexico border, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection.
Suozzi told Biden in his letter, “I share your frustration with the political farce currently playing out in the House of Representatives.”
He also pointed to legislation he helped draft with Rep. Peter King (R-NY) to marshal “better radar technology, better ports of entry, improved physical barriers, more immigration judges and more border patrol agents.”
“The plan also includes humanitarian assistance at the border, foreign aid to reduce out-migration from Central America, and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and TPS recipients and legal residents for others. The fees collected from the applicants will cover the cost of the proposal,” he added.
Suozzi asked Biden, Johnson and Jeffries to consider scrapping the plan.
Currently, Republicans hold a 220-213 majority in the House of Representatives, meaning any spending plan can only lose three GOP votes and still toe the party line.
Carl Campanile contributed to this report.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
