Thirteen House Democrats joined with all Republicans to vote in favor of a resolution denouncing the Biden administration's immigration policies.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, early last month introduced the resolution condemning the Biden administration's failure to enforce immigration laws and secure U.S. borders.
The resolution passed the House 223-191 in a Wednesday afternoon session.
Democrats who supported the resolution mostly hail from competitive districts in the upcoming general election. They included Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., Angie Craig, D-Minn., Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Sharice Davids, D-Kan., Don Davis, D-N.C., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Josh Harder, D-Calif., Steven Horsford, D-Nev., Susie Lee, D-Nev., Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., and Eric Sorensen, D-Ill.
The resolution condemned the Biden administration for:
- Systematically dismantling effective border security measures and immigration enforcement.
- Incentivizing 9.5 million illegal migrants, including bad actors and suspected terrorists, to arrive at the southern border.
- Allowing at least 6.4 million migrants from the southern border to travel into the U.S.
- Engaging in mass catch-and-release policies and abusing the asylum process.
- Failing to deport illegal immigrants who do not qualify for asylum.
- Violating U.S. immigration law by abusing discretionary case-by-case and other parole authorities to mass parole illegal immigrants who would otherwise have no legal basis to enter and remain in the country.
- Engaging in policies that made it possible for bad actors and criminals to enter the country and harm innocent Americans such as Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student murdered in February.
"Americans are fed up with President [Joe] Biden's broken immigration policies. The people of my district see it firsthand every day — the border crisis is in our backyard," Gonzales said in an April 9 release announcing the resolution.
"My resolution takes this administration to task for its failure to protect our homeland and keep Americans safe. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and say that enough is enough."
Earlier this year, 14 House Democrats joined Republicans in backing a January resolution slamming the Biden administration for its handling of the southern border, Politico reported.