'Squad' Member Pramila Jayapal Backs Measure Decriminalizing Illegal Border Crossings

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Jan 28, 2021 06:22 AM EST

A group of congressional Democrats, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, has reintroduced a bill decriminalizing illegal border crossings.

Pramila Jayapal is a member of the so-called "Squad," a group of progressive House Democrats.

The representatives reintroduced the legislation known as the "New Way Forward Act," which has been stalled in Congress after being introduced in Dec. 2019. Jayapal and Garcia announced a renewed push to pass the bill during a Facebook live event on Tuesday.

The bill reportedly has more than 30 co-sponsors, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, apart from Jayapal and Garcia.

Pramila Jayapal said it is not enough to simply reverse the "hateful" immigration policies of former President Donald Trump's administration, Fox News reported. She further noted that they have to "deliver on a real, humane reform" of the immigration system.

"America's racist, xenophobic... immigration system has been broken for decades," Pramila Jayapal said in the report. She added that the measure would promote racial justice, protect due process for everyone, and keep families together.

What's in the Bill Aside from Decriminalizing Illegal Border Crossings

Under the proposed bill, it would end mandatory detention of immigrants without bail release and ban non-profit immigration jails. The automatic deportation of immigrants who had contact with the criminal legal system for things like drug indictments will no longer be allowed.

The local police would also be prohibited from acting as deportation agents or conducting mass deportations. It would decriminalize border crossings with broader goals of restoring due process to the immigration system and dismantling the so-called prison-to-deportation pipeline.

The legislators' announcement comes hours after a federal judge temporarily blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations.

Biden's Deportation Moratorium

The judge blocked Biden's moratorium from taking effect on Tuesday. The decision came a few days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the first major lawsuit against the Biden administration.

According to a Forbes report, it was a major early blow to President Joe Biden's immigration agenda. U.S. District Court Judge Drew Tipton signed a temporary restraining order, which forces the Department of Homeland Security to hold off on Biden's plan to halt deportation for most immigrants for the first 100 days of his administration.

This order would mean that deportations could theoretically resume for 14 days while Texas' lawsuit against the federal government makes its way to the federal court system.

Tipton was a federal judge appointed by Trump. He was also known to lend some support for Texas' claim that pausing deportation violates federal laws on how quickly people are removed after a deportation order is issued.

"We're confident that as the case proceeds, it will be clear that this measure was wholly appropriate in ordering a temporary pause to allow the agency to carefully review its policies, procedures, and enforcement priorities," a White House spokesperson said in the report.

Meanwhile, some immigration advocates were disappointed by Tipton's order. The American Civil Liberties Union said the decision is hasty and incorrect, adding that they are confident it will be set aside as the case continues.