Borderland migrant advocates react to Senate’s proposed bill on immigration

JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- With the recent announcement of a border deal and foreign aid package that could implement strict limits along the U.S.-Mexico border, Borderland migrant advocates are chiming in.

The Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) sent a statement saying that the Border Act is the latest attempt to "gut" the asylum system as we know it in the United States.

Executive Director for BNHR, Fernando Garcia said in the statement:

"For more than three decades, Congress has failed to humanely, effectively, and integrally reform our immigration system. Instead, they have utilized the same ill-conceived and ineffective enforcement and deportation-only approach to militarize border communities further, criminalize those looking for a better life, and unjustly deprive millions of people of the opportunity for a pathway to citizenship. This latest bipartisan “compromise” is yet another example of the latter."

Fernando Garcia, BNHR Executive Director

ABC-7 also reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol in the El Paso Sector.

"As a rule, we do not comment on proposed/pending legislation.  DHS will comment on any proposed legislation only after it becomes law after being passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States," U.S. CBP in the El Paso Sector said.

Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also said this bipartisan agreement would allow DHS to remove more quickly those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States, reducing the time from years to months.

"It would expedite protection and work authorization for those with legitimate claims," say officials. "It would provide flexibility to respond to changing dynamics at the border, including temporarily prohibiting border entries for certain individuals when encounters are extremely high. It also delivers much-needed resources to support and expand the DHS workforce after decades of chronic underfunding, and it further invests in technology to help prevent fentanyl from entering our country at ports of entry."