News Mississippi
Wicker, Hyde-Smith vote for border funding bill
By Steven Gagliano
With the support of Mississippi’s Senate delegation in D.C., an appropriations bill could send billions of dollars to the border.
Passed with bipartisan support, the $4.6 billion supplemental appropriations bill would be used for humanitarian assistance and security at the southern border.
According to Senator Roger Wicker, the bill provide additional funds requested by President Donald Trump for border enforcement and the care of undocumented immigrants, including unaccompanied children, while their cases are being processed. Wicker says that the crisis is due to an unprecedented surge of migrants crossing the southern border.
“The funding passed by the Senate today would meet President Trump’s request for additional support at the southern border,” Wicker said. “This funding would help our border patrol agents and other federal employees provide necessities and better conditions for children in U.S. care, help expedite the processing of immigration cases, and enhance border security. I hope the House will pass this bipartisan bill.”
The funds will be distributed to the following departments in an effort to improve care at the border and speed up the processing of immigration cases.
• $2.8 billion for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide shelter and care for unaccompanied children.
• $1.3 billion for the Department of Homeland Security
• $145 million for the Department of Defense for border security and operations.
• $220 million for the Department of Justice for claim processing and the addition of 30 new immigration judge teams.
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith supported the bill and said that the crisis at the border needs to be addressed.
“U.S. border security, law enforcement, and health agencies have been overwhelmed by the waves of people trying to enter our country either legitimately or illegally. Since October 1, more than 675,000 migrants have arrived at the southern border, which is comparable to the population of some major American cities. The crisis has only increased since President Trump requested emergency funding from Congress almost two months ago.
“I am troubled by the situation on our border and with claims it is a manufactured crisis. It is unfortunate that this very real crisis on our border requires emergency spending. But it is needed if federal agents are expected to do their jobs to secure and control the border,” Hyde-Smith said.
Prior to the final vote, Hyde-Smith voted against the House-passed version of the bill, which President Trump had said he would veto.