The legislation aims to expedite the deployment of these construction materials for state-level use specifically in building barriers to reduce illegal immigration and trafficking. It requires states that request these materials to certify their intent for exclusive use in border wall construction, including penalties if the materials are not used as required. This shift could centralize construction efforts around the border, potentially allowing states to fortify their respective borders using federal resources instead of letting them languish unused.
Summary
SB1498, also known as the 'Finish It Act', mandates the Secretary of Defense to utilize, transfer, or donate all excess construction materials intended for a wall on the southwest border of the United States, which have been stored and not used since the cessation of wall construction under the Biden administration. The bill asserts that building physical barriers at the border has been a part of the overall strategy to secure the country and highlights the economic waste incurred from storing the materials at private sites, which the Department of Defense has reportedly spent millions on over the past years.
Contention
Debate surrounding SB1498 largely centers on its implications for federal versus state authority over border security initiatives. Proponents argue that the bill will reinforce the security integrity of the U.S. southern border, which they deem critical. However, critics may view it as an expansion of federal power encroaching on local governance and concerns about immigration policy's humanitarian aspects. The bill also comments on previous administrations' policies regarding border security, which could further politicize the legislation.
A resolution to express the sense of the Senate regarding the constitutional right of State Governors to repel the dangerous ongoing invasion across the United States southern border.
Secure the Border Act of 2023 This bill addresses issues regarding immigration and border security, including by imposing limits to asylum eligibility. For example, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; provides statutory authorization for Operation Stonegarden, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies for certain border security operations; prohibits DHS from processing the entry of non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) arriving between ports of entry; limits asylum eligibility to non-U.S. nationals who arrive in the United States at a port of entry; authorizes the removal of a non-U.S. national to a country other than that individual's country of nationality or last lawful habitual residence, whereas currently this type of removal may only be to a country that has an agreement with the United States for such removal; expands the types of crimes that may make an individual ineligible for asylum, such as a conviction for driving while intoxicated causing another person's serious bodily injury or death; authorizes DHS to suspend the introduction of certain non-U.S. nationals at an international border if DHS determines that the suspension is necessary to achieve operational control of that border; prohibits states from imposing licensing requirements on immigration detention facilities used to detain minors; authorizes immigration officers to permit an unaccompanied alien child to withdraw their application for admission into the United States even if the child is unable to make an independent decision to withdraw the application; imposes additional penalties for overstaying a visa; and requires DHS to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system and requires all employers to use the system.
Directs the Department of Transportation and Development to expedite procurement, planning, engineering, and design for a new Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge, in cooperation with the Southwest Area Chamber's I-10 Bridge Task Force.