By On Thursday night in Chicago, Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage to address the growing crisis at the southern border. In a speech that appeared designed to bolster her standing on immigration, Harris made a questionable claim about President Joe Biden’s unsuccessful bipartisan border security bill and went as far as to accuse former President Donald Trump of being weak on border security—an assertion that many conservatives find absurd.
“Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades; the border patrol endorsed it,” Harris claimed.
“But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign,” she continued. “So, he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal.”
Yet, Harris’s remarks glossed over a critical aspect of her favored legislation—the U.S. Citizenship Act—that she would likely push through Congress if she were to become president. This bill, long supported by Harris as vice president, would pave the way for illegal immigrants, including those deported during Trump’s presidency, to apply for legal status. According to The Daily Caller, this bill has been a cornerstone of the administration’s immigration agenda, and it’s one that conservatives strongly oppose.
WATCH: Kamala Harris vows to create a “pathway to citizenship” for illegal aliens. pic.twitter.com/ScouXgXiBD
— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) August 23, 2024
The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, as outlined in a White House press release, would create “an earned roadmap to citizenship for undocumented individuals.” Under this bill, illegal immigrants who were physically present in the United States on or before January 1, 2021, could apply for temporary legal status. However, the bill includes a deeply troubling provision that would allow illegal immigrants who were deported by the Trump administration to return and apply for legal status—even if they weren’t in the country when the bill’s eligibility date was set.
The bill explicitly states that it will act as a magnet for more illegal immigrants.
“With respect to a noncitizen who was removed from or who departed the United States on or after January 20, 2017, and who was continuously physically present in the United States for not fewer than 3 years immediately preceding the date on which the noncitizen was removed or departed, the Secretary may waive, for humanitarian purposes, to ensure family unity, or if such a waiver is otherwise in the public interest,” the bill reads.
This clause effectively undermines the rule of law and opens the door to reversing Trump’s efforts to secure the border. Conservatives argue that this provision would reward those who broke the law by entering the country illegally and would encourage further illegal immigration by sending the message that deportations can be undone with the stroke of a pen.
The broader Democratic agenda on immigration, as laid out in the 2024 party platform, reveals an even more concerning plan. According to a Newsweek report, the platform is packed with proposals to increase immigration levels significantly. On page 68, under the heading “Expanding legal immigration & deterring illegal immigration,” the platform endorses the U.S. Citizenship Act as a way to permanently increase family-sponsored and employment-based immigration.
The platform states:
“America is a nation of immigrants. The legal immigration framework was last updated in 1990 and does not reflect the needs of our country in the 21st century. Many immigrants today are forced to wait years, and often decades, to immigrate lawfully to the United States. A robust immigration system with accessible lawful pathways and penalties for illegal immigration alleviates pressure at the border and upholds our values. The U.S. Citizenship Act would permanently increase family-sponsored and employment-based immigration. The bipartisan border legislation would increase the number of immigrant visas that are available by 250,000 over 5 years.”
Conservatives view this as a blatant attempt to flood the country with new immigrants, many of whom would likely align with the Democratic Party’s values, thus shifting the electoral balance in their favor. The increase of 250,000 immigrant visas over five years is seen as a reckless move that ignores the existing pressures on American workers and the social safety net.
The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, a sprawling document with over 300 pages, includes various provisions that raise red flags. For example, on page 37, the “waiver for noncitizens previously removed” section reiterates that the Secretary of Homeland Security may waive certain restrictions for those deported under Trump’s administration, allowing them to return under the guise of “humanitarian purposes” or “family unity.” This provision, critics argue, undermines the very concept of legal consequences for illegal actions.
As the 2024 election looms, immigration will undoubtedly remain a hot-button issue. For conservatives, Harris’s support of the U.S. Citizenship Act is emblematic of the Democratic Party’s broader strategy to weaken border security, dismantle Trump-era immigration policies, making the border crisis worse.
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