Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently warned that Republican lawmakers in the House would use their influence in the upcoming year-end funding fights to attempt to halt the Democrat cities' secession from the nation's immigration laws.
The new head of the Republican Party in the House told the newspaper, "I'm certain that will be one of our proposals, and it should,” as Breitbart News reported.
The so-called "Sanctuary Cities" championed by the Democrats render illegal immigrants, and the laws mandating their deportation, null and void in certain jurisdictions.
By breaking away from federal law, communities become safe havens for illegal immigrants, traditionally leading to a community that sees crime against Americans rise, employers lowered salaries, a raise in rents, and millions of Americans often become out of work.
Democrats' Moves
Democrats' demands that taxpayers pay $5 billion to the cities for their self-inflicted costs of sheltering illegal migrants, Johnson argued, highlight the GOP demand for terminating "sanctuary city" policy.
“The idea that you would maintain a sanctuary city status and then cry out to the federal government for assistance in what you’ve done is, to me, unconscionable,” he said.
President Joe Biden's pro-immigration border commander, Alejandro Mayorkas, was another target of Johnson's criticism for the harm done to average Americans as a result of the influx of illegal migrants.
“What he has done is just inexcusable, because these are policy decisions … [His flood] is terribly destructive to our country in so many ways — six million people-plus have been apprehended at the border, 1.7 million getaways.
“Fentanyl has just led to an absolute catastrophe; the leading cause of death is overdoses for Americans aged 18-49, human trafficking, enriching the cartels, it goes on and on and on. And all of that traces back to their policy decisions.”
Republican Response
Johnson's group of House Republicans has been successful thus far in their efforts to get their immigration stability plan, H.R. 2, passed.
For instance, in response to populist pressure from the House GOP during the end-of-year budget discussions, the Senate's establishment GOP leadership has backed useful but limited adjustments to immigration policy.
Democrats are opposed to major changes, but they are aware that the exodus of its Mayorkas is hurting their chances of winning elections even in traditionally blue states.
Recent polls show that immigration is now the top issue for Republican voters, and that a clear majority of people in swing states support a border wall, giving Johnson more influence.
