During an appearance on NewsNation’s Cuomo Thursday night, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) offered insight into why Congress has failed to reach an agreement on border security legislation. According to Smith, one of the major sticking points is the belief among many Democrats that millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. deserve a chance to remain.
“There are a lot of people in this country, undocumented who should be allowed to stay. They have been a vital part of our economy. They are vital parts of our community. They are husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, working, paying taxes. We have depended upon their labor for decades, and to rip those families apart and send them back to countries that, in many cases, they don’t even know, we believe, would be wrong,” Smith said. He added that while Democrats support creating a path to citizenship for certain undocumented individuals, many are also open to revisiting and strengthening asylum policies and border protections.
Earlier in the interview, Smith emphasized the importance of due process when it comes to deportations, warning that the absence of such safeguards could result in wrongful removals. He also accused the Trump administration of ignoring Supreme Court rulings related to immigration enforcement.
Reflecting on past challenges, Smith acknowledged deficiencies in border enforcement, especially concerning asylum protocols. “[W]e did a poor job of securing the border, particularly on the asylum laws. I don’t necessarily agree with everything that Mr. Homan said there, but certainly, the asylum laws were wide open, and people took advantage of that. And President Biden didn’t do enough to secure the border,” he admitted.
Looking at the broader legislative landscape, Smith said partisan gridlock has paralyzed efforts to strike a balanced solution. “On the larger question of what Congress wants to do, the problem is we can’t get a compromise, tough on the border, but also, we’ve got Donald Trump blocking refugees, taking away Temporary Protect[ed] Status, and also a number of us believe that there are a lot of people in this country, undocumented who should be allowed to stay,” he explained.
He reiterated his call for compassion and common ground: “So, Democrats want pathway to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants, and then a lot of us are wide open to talking about toughening the asylum laws and getting to greater security. But that inability to compromise on that issue is the biggest thing that has blocked Congress acting.”
{Matzav.com}