Possible border deal on the horizon; some migrant advocates in El Paso against it
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- ABC-7 spoke with one migrant advocate in El Paso who is strongly against the proposed border deal.
Sen. Chris Murphy said Sunday a possible border deal could be ready in the coming days. The senator said he and his colleagues had reached a bipartisan deal that they are still working on.
Fernando Garcia, the executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, said he is frustrated by the proposed deal.
"We're not fixing those things. And I think what we are doing is just putting some Band-Aids to something that that is going to continue bleeding that way," he said.
A portion of the deal includes the authority to shut down the border if migrant crossings or encounters surge.
The president said earlier he would shut down the border right now if given the power by Congress.
"That's not that we need. But what is very surprising is now that President Biden has embraced that same narrative. And I mean, honestly, we are shocked by the idea," Garcia said.
Additionally, the deal could also speed up the process of asylum claims to resolve them in a shorter timeframe.
Garcia said this could lead to more deportations and asylum claim rejections.
"You want a system that works faster, but but what for what purpose? Is it to move asylum seekers faster, to deport them faster, or a system that can guarantee them legal rights and legal protections and guaranteed them access to attorneys."
Garcia said a more comprehensive solution is needed.
"Everyone is talking about the border and nobody's talking about really fixing the system because nothing that has been in this plan presented by President Biden or the Republicans is fixing the system. It's not reforming immigration" he said.
