Cornyn, Sinema to introduce bill aimed at addressing border surge

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) will introduce legislation on Thursday aimed at addressing a surge of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The bill, according to a statement from Cornyn’s office, seeks to improve capacity for surges and resolve asylum claims in a “timely manner.”

It also would seek to deter those unlikely to be approved for asylum from traveling to the United States and “protect unaccompanied migrant children.”

The bipartisan bill comes after Cornyn and Sinema sent President Biden a letter last month urging him to use his “full authorities” to respond to a surge of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. 

That, according to the letter, includes taking “immediate action” in two areas: making sure there are enough “resources and facilities” along the border and improving the asylum process.

Congress has failed for years to reach a deal on immigration reform.

Cornyn and Sinema are part of bipartisan group of senators who met Wednesday to discuss immigration reform, marking their second meeting. 

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who is leading the effort, said the group is pursuing elements included in two House-passed bills — “Dreamers” and agricultural workers — as well as border security. 

“Most of these we’ve been through before. We got to sit down. We agree, I think we agree, on a bipartisan basis that we got to reform the system, as far as we can take it,” Durbin said. 

But Republicans also view immigration and the border as a weak spot for Biden, who they’ve otherwise struggled to define, heading into 2022 and 2024.

A Quinnipiac University poll found that only 29 percent of Americans approve of how Biden is handling the situation at the border, while 55 percent disapprove. 

Forty-eight percent also told Pew that they view illegal immigration as a “very big problem,” up 20 points from a year ago.

–Updated on April 22 at 10:19 a.m.