Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) laid out a list of border policies on Sunday that he thinks Democrats would support in talks on immigration reform, including increased funding for border patrol, as Republicans continue to hammer their political opponents on border security.
Republicans have launched heavy attacks on Democrats and the White House over the southern border, after the end of the federal Title 42 policy that had allowed the U.S. to expel immigrants seeking asylum during the pandemic. GOP lawmakers said the end of the policy would mark a surge in border entries.
But Khanna said Republicans should approach Democrats with their border policies instead of publicly attacking the party on the issue.
“We will support increased funding for border patrol. We will support increased funding for immigration judges to quickly process things,” Khanna said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We will support better technology and security on the border.”
Khanna said the Republican plan for immigration reform is “extreme” and argued that “not even the Senate” would pass it.
“Their bill is for a border wall, that is not something Democrats can or will support,” Khanna said. “So why not come up with a compromise there?”
Defending Biden, Khanna said the issue when it comes to border security is “often with Congress.”
“We have not provided the administration with the resources for the immigration judges for processing,” Khanna said. “We have not provided the resources for border patrol.”
Immigration reform has been an initiative that lawmakers for decades have been unable to conquer. The last administration to enact immigration reform was President Reagan, which Khanna pointed out.
“I don’t believe this is a Democratic or Republican issue,” Khanna said. “It’s a both party issue.”