House GOP border bill pushes deportation of undocumented youth

By Balitang America Staff, ABS-CBN North American

August 4, 2014

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – “Deport ’em all.”

This was how Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez explained in three words the Republican Party’s new policy to deal with America’s border crisis.

House Republicans on Friday approved $694 million funding in response to the influx of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America.

The bill, which passed with a 223 to 189 vote proposes a change to the 2008 human trafficking law to put Central American migrants back in regular deportation proceedings.

The bill also pushes for the deportation of young undocumented immigrants who will benefit, or have already benefited, from President Barack Obama’s deferred action for childhood arrivals program or DACA.

It also intends to cut all foreign aid for struggling Central American countries that are not able to prevent their citizens from crossing America’s border.

It also plans to reimburse states for their National Guards’ work in securing the border.

The critics already predict the House GOP border bill is going nowhere because the Senate will not take it up.

The president has threatened to veto it, calling it “extreme and unworkable.”

“Stripping the rights and protections of children is never a good solution in any legislation,” Rep. Xavier Becerra who chairs the House Democratic Caucus. “At the same time it’s never a good idea and a good solution to sue the president of the United States when you’re not willing to do your job here in the House of Representatives.”