The head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) condemned the Senate's new border security and foreign aid package, saying it will increase the problems on the southern border as opposed to fixing them.
"There are some good provisions in the bill," Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-Calif., wrote in a statement.
"However, there are many more that are not in line with our values, take away due process safeguards in our asylum system, could make matters worse at the Southern Border, and more importantly, fail to include protections and legal pathways for our Dreamers or the greater undocumented community that calls America home."
"Imagine a civil rights or criminal justice bill negotiated without the Congressional Black Caucus at the table. That would not happen, rightfully so," she added. "The CHC has been the lead voice in Congress on this issue."
The Senate deal, which has support from President Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has no pathway through the House.
Both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will likely not find support from their respective House members but for varying reasons. House Republicans say the bill will "incentivize more illegal immigration," and Johnson called the bill "dead on arrival."
Meanwhile, Jeffries scolded the Republicans for being beholden to former President Trump.
"How can a bill be dead on arrival, and extreme MAGA Republicans in the House haven't even seen the text?" Jeffries said. "House Republicans, at this point, are wholly owned subsidiaries of Donald Trump. They're not working to find real solutions for the American people. They are following orders from the former president. That's the height of irresponsibility. That's what the American people dislike about Washington, D.C., at this moment."
While not going so far as to say her caucus will vote a unanimous "no" on the Senate bill, Barragan left little room for optimism for the bill's advocates.
"I know it was a challenge to get there, since Republicans continue to hold hostage any funding requested by the President to address challenges at the Southern Border and critical funding for our allies," Barragan said.
"But we cannot just throw up our hands and accept bad immigration policies that gut asylum and could set back real bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform 10 to 15 years, for temporary aid."
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