FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chairman Green’s Bill Stops Illegal Aliens From Boarding Flights Without Proper ID
WASHINGTON—Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green introduced the Verifying that All Illegal Aliens Have Legitimate Documents (VALID) Act. Senator Mike Lee is leading companion legislation in the Senate.
Chairman Green said, “Allowing illegal immigrants to abuse commercial airline travel is unacceptable. While Americans must show proper identification to board their flights, illegal immigrants are not required to do so. Instead, the Biden administration is recklessly allowing migrants to use the CBP One app or even their Border Patrol arrest documents as identification. This puts Americans at risk. Illegal immigrants should have to comply with the same laws as American citizens, especially when it comes to valid identification. Refusing to enforce these laws poses severe national security risks.”
“Furthermore, Secretary Mayorkas’ use of the CBP One app to implement mass parole schemes violates the Immigration and Nationality Act. The app has been used as a shell game to shift encounters at the border to ports of entry to obfuscate the ongoing crisis. My Committee’s investigation into the abuse of the CBP One app highlighted that 95.8% of inadmissible aliens who scheduled appointments through the app were ultimately issued a ‘Notice to Appear’ and were released into the U.S. on parole. The app has also consistently been used to release otherwise inadmissible aliens from Mexico and Northern Triangle countries.”
Senator Mike Lee said, “Every American needs to show ID to enter our country. So why do we make it simpler for illegal immigrants to come in than for our own people? As our nation grapples with an unprecedented invasion at our southern border, the VALID Act resolves to close the loopholes that have allowed 200,000 illegal immigrants into the country unchecked. The Biden administration's policies have blatantly facilitated this crisis, encouraging illegal immigration and compromising our nation's security."
Chad Wolf, former acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Executive Director of the America First Policy Institute said, “Shortly after 9/11 the U.S. Congress, through the REAL ID Act, recognized the importance of establishing certain security standards for identification documents to fly on commercial aircraft. Each presidential administration since 9/11 has worked diligently to bring more security to our skies. Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s policy of allowing illegal aliens to use documents with unverifiable and unvetted information to board commercial aircraft defies common sense and congressional will and makes it easier for illegal aliens to travel than U.S. citizens and legal immigrants. The administration’s unlawful use of the CBP One app to mass parole inadmissible aliens into American communities raises both legal and public safety concerns. The VALID Act is an important step in reining in these abuses and ensuring the safety of the American people.”
Rosemary Jenks of the Immigration Accountability Project said, “The Biden administration’s policy of flying illegal aliens all over the country with nothing more than a piece of paper or a form from an app that the aliens filled in, with zero verification, is a threat to public safety and national security. The Immigration Accountability Project applauds Chairman Green for taking this important step to prevent unvetted aliens from flying with unverified and unreliable identification.”
Background: Chairman Green and the House Committee on Homeland Security have warned of the dangers of the expanded use of the CBP One app for months. In April, the Committee introduced the Border Reinforcement Act, legislation that was later passed by the House as part of Republicans’ Secure the Border Act. This legislation includes a provision to restrict the use of the CBP One app to its original intent—allowing for the efficient movement of commercial goods into the United States.
Read the text of the bill here.
Read the exclusive in the Washington Examiner by Anna Giaritelli here.
Original Cosponsors: Michael McCaul (TX-10); Michael Guest (MS-03); Clay Higgins (LA-03); Dan Bishop (NC-08); Eli Crane (AZ-02); Morgan Luttrell (TX-08); Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04); Jake Ellzey (TX-06); Dale Strong (AL-05); Andy Ogles (TN-05); Burgess Owens (UT-04); Troy Nehls (TX-22); Bob Good (VA-05); Tom Tiffany (WI-07); Bill Posey (FL-08); Dan Crenshaw (TX-02); Randy Weber (TX-14); Jeff Duncan (SC-03); Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14); Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-02); Scott Perry (PA-10); John Rose (TN-06); Rick Crawford (AR-01)
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