EL PASO, Texas – The new chairman of the Texas Border Coalition has explained his immediate goal for the organization.
El Paso County Commissioner David Stout said the goal is to secure passage of immigration and border management legislation in the lame duck session of Congress. Stout said the legislative measures TBC wants Congress to pass are contained in a new white paper just published by the group.
Stout said the recommendations are limited to legislation that has more than a 50 percent chance of being enacted this year. That means no immediate push for comprehensive immigration reform, even the the group supports it.
The recommendations include passing the Dream Act, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, and the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act; legislation to recapture thousands of unissued Green Cards and allow them to be reallocated for current use; and funding the Emergency Food and Shelter program operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to assure that local governments and non-governmental organizations can carry on programs to address the needs of migrants entering the U.S.
As for border management proposals, TBC urges Congress to pass the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act and the Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act.
Stout was appointed chair of TBC at the group’s annual meeting in San Antonio earlier this month. This was also the meeting where the white paper was unveiled. Stout gave an exclusive interview to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service soon after becoming chair of TBC. Here is the interview:
Podcast
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