Media

Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) voted no on H.R. 6 the American Dream and Promise Act.  

“As our country faces a crisis along our southern border, a crisis that President Biden has created, it is unthinkable that Congress would grant amnesty and encourage millions of more migrants to illegally enter the country. President Biden and Congress should work together to resolve the crisis at the border by first securing our border. After the border is secured, and only after, can Congress then begin debate on comprehensive immigration reform,” Congressman Baird said.

The crisis at the southern border is getting worse with estimates predicting illegal border crossings reaching a 20-year high. There were over 100,000 illegal border crossings in February. There are reports of more than 13,000 unaccompanied migrant children currently in U.S. government custody. More concerning is the Customs and Border Protection agency informing congress that four people, whose names are listed on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database, were apprehended while trying to cross the border.

The House of Representatives passing H.R. 6 will only exacerbate this crisis and signal to others that it is okay to illegally cross our nation’s borders. The bill would do the following:

• Grants green cards and amnesty on a mandatory basis to more illegal immigrants that were originally established under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

• Grants green card status to those who entered the country illegally

• Creates loopholes that would allow criminals convicted of violent crimes and gang members to receive green cards by including the following exemptions:

1. Applicants with multiple misdemeanor convictions, even if the crime was violent or resulted in death or bodily injury to receive a green card
   
   
2. Blocks consideration of serious, violent crimes committed as a juvenile when adjudicating an application
   
   
3. Gang member exclusion is very onerous – only the DHS Secretary can provisionally deny an applicant based on gang membership, and the denial is subject to an appeals process
   
4. Includes an expansive waiver of the criminal exclusions.

• Allows individuals deported under the Trump Administration to apply for green cards by eliminating the physical presence requirement.

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