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WASHINGTON Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, helped lead progressives Wednesday in promoting federal legislation they say would bring more humanity to the countrys treatment of immigrants and push back on Republican efforts to have state and local authorities or even everyday citizens assume the role of immigration law enforcers.

The path weve been on for decades of building more private prisons, putting more kids in cages, spending tens and hundreds of millions of dollars on border militarization, hasnt worked, Casar told reporters Wednesday.

Their proposal would end mandatory no-bond immigration detention, repeal laws allowing for criminal prosecution of unauthorized entry into the United States and limit the time in which federal authorities can initiate removal proceedings for civil violations.

It would provide an opportunity for those already deported to return and it would repeal laws used to justify having local authorities enforce immigration rules.

Casar said that would chip away at the foundation for Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbotts multibillion dollar immigration-and-drugs dragnet at the southern border.

This law would make it very clear that federal immigration officials should be doing immigration and our local police forces, state police forces should be focused on keeping us safe from violence, Casar said. They shouldnt be chasing immigrants all around the state.

Abbotts office did not respond to a request for comment but in a news release last week said Operation Lone Star has turned back thousands of migrants seeking to enter the country illegally and resulted in more than 26,000 criminal arrests.

It said the operation continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden administrations border policies.

Figures on arrests from the operation have included some individuals busted for low-level drug offenses unrelated to the border.

Casar said the progressives proposal also would shut down efforts such as Texas House Bill 20, which would create a Texas Border Protection Unit and allow citizen volunteers after mandatory training to make arrests.

Casar described that as bounty hunter vigilante squads.

The legislation hes promoting wont go anywhere this session with Republicans in control, but it represents a response from left-leaning Democrats to a slew of hardline GOP immigration proposals.

It also comes as the Biden administration has sought to stem the flow of migrants across the border with new policies that some have compared to those of President Donald Trump.

House Republicans made combatting illegal immigration a central part of their 2022 midterm campaign message but have struggled to get on the same page in writing bills since taking over the majority.

Nearly all Republicans in the Texas delegation backed a package of proposals focused on physical barriers and tougher enforcement. That plan includes a bill sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, that would require Department of Homeland Security to turn away all individuals at the border that cannot be detained for the pendency of their proceedings.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, has vowed to fight Roys proposal.

Bring unchristian anti-immigrant bills to the floor and I am a NO on the debt ceiling, Gonzales tweeted Wednesday.

The debt ceiling represents a powerful leverage point because the economic fallout from not addressing it would be significant and the razor-thin House GOP majority makes every vote crucial.

While the details of their legislation remain in flux, Republicans continue to hammer the Biden administrations handling of the border.

Both of Texas Republican senators lit into Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. John Cornyn pressed Mayorkas to apologize to the parents of children who have died from fentanyl overdoses.

Senator, my heart is with the family of every victim of a drug overdose death, Mayorkas responded.

Cornyn accused the secretary of evading responsibility and said he has lost all credibility.

You should be fired, but you havent been fired because you were carrying out the policies of the Biden administration, and weve seen nothing but death and destruction as a result, Cornyn said.

Mayorkas touted record seizures of fentanyl at ports of entry and efforts to do more.

Democrats on the committee noted the U.S. immigration system was broken long before the Biden administration, but Republicans kept venting their frustration at the secretary.

Sen. Ted Cruz fired off a series of yes-or-no queries and repeatedly cut off Mayorkas attempts to offer broad responses, accusing him of filibustering to avoid answering the questions.

Cruz told Mayorkas his own Border Patrol agents feel hes undermining them.

They despise you, Mr. Secretary, because youre willing to let children be raped to follow political orders, Cruz said. This is a crisis. Its a disgrace. And you wont even admit this human tragedy is a crisis.

The committees chairman offered Mayorkas a chance to respond to Cruzs statement.

What the senator said was revolting, Mayorkas said. Im not going to address it.

Your refusal to do your job is revolting, Cruz shot back.

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Greg Casar leads attack on Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star - The Dallas Morning News