Bill would reimburse states for action on border

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation that would require the federal government to pay back states for costs incurred enforcing border security.

Yoho said states along the southern border should be able to act when Congress has been unable to agree on extra funding to address the surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America.

{mosads}”The governors of our southwest border states are bearing the brunt of the current immigration crisis, and they are receiving little if no help from the federal government,” Yoho said. “I believe we should empower our governors to take the necessary steps to deal with this crisis, which is on their doorstep.”

Under Yoho’s bill, border state governors would submit a report to Congress on the costs for securing the border and housing the child migrants. 

The federal government would then reimburse the states using funds set aside for the Executive Office of the President. Additional reimbursements would take money from non-security foreign aid for the countries where most of the child migrants are coming from: Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. 

“Taxpayers should not have to bear the brunt of the president’s failed policies,” Yoho said.