U.S. President Joe Biden's offer to pay illegal immigrants USD 450,000 per person has sparked a backlash in the United States (Note: Biden’s plan is to pay USD 450,000 per illegal immigrant and USD 3.4 million per family).
In an interview on Wednesday (November 3), Biden dismissed reports of payment to immigrant families as "garbage," but when asked about it again at a press conference on Saturday, Biden said he would pay illegal immigrants, a sharp turn from just three days earlier.
Biden held a press conference on Saturday focused on touting the passage of a USD 1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, but a Fox News reporter remained undeterred asking, "You said last week that this report about migrant families at the border getting payments was garbage?"
Biden, who had been speaking excitedly about the infrastructure bill, immediately changed his attitude when he heard the question about paying out money to illegal immigrants. "No, I didn't say that," Biden said, pointing his finger towards the reporter. "Let's get this straight. You said everybody coming across the border gets USD 450,000".
Biden later said he would pay money to these (illegal immigrant) families and criticized Donald Trump's border policies.
"If in fact, because of the outrageous behavior of the last administration, you coming across the border — whether it was legal or illegal — and you lost your child," Biden said. "You lost your child, he’s gone, you deserve some kind of compensation no matter what the circumstances".
As for the reported USD 450,000 compensation for each person, Biden said he has "no idea" what the final settlement figure will be.
The U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering payments that could amount to close to USD 1 million a family, though the final numbers could shift, according to the people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported.
In the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued on behalf of illegal immigrants, alleged some of the separated children suffered from a range of ailments, including heat exhaustion and malnutrition, and were kept in freezing cold rooms and provided little medical attention. The children suffered long-term trauma from the anxiety for not being with their parents.
It is estimated that about 5,500 people are still waiting for compensation, and the total amount of compensation is estimated to be over USD 1 billion. The U.S. Departments of Justice has sent government lawyers to respond to the lawsuit, but it has simply given up defending the case and paid for it, which has made the government lawyers felt humiliated. Some lawyers have even asked to give up signing their names to compensation agreements because of the stigma of being "traitors" if the agreements come to light.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said the payments were a slap in the face to every hard-working American who works hard and plays by the rules.
DeSantis said he is "very, very concerned" about the sizeable payments, given that many Americans are struggling financially as inflation has sent prices for consumer goods soaring. "You’ve had all kinds of really bad policies throughout our country that has limited freedom," DeSantis said. "And you’re going to turn around for that, and you’re going to do USD 475,000 for an individual that came illegally to this country?"
In an effort to stop the Biden administration's compensation policies, Congressman Tom McClintock introduced the Illegal Immigration Payoff Prohibition Act, which aims to modify the Attorney General's authority to issue settlement payments.
If the bill passes, Biden's Attorney General, Merrick Garland, will be prevented from paying money to immigrants who have broken immigration laws by entering the country illegally.
"Law-abiding, hardworking Americans have seen their purchasing power decimated by Biden’s economic policies while he has surrendered our southern border. Paying illegal immigrants USD 450,000 apiece as an apology for Trump’s decision to enforce our immigration law adds insult to injury. Congress has the power of the purse, and that’s why we must act today to stop this outrageous plan in its tracks," McClintock said in a statement.
Tom McClintock is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration. He said the reported plans "add insult to injury" in the months-long border crisis. The bill now has the support of 137 Republicans in the House, but it is questionable whether it will get the support of a majority, given that Democrats outnumber Republicans by 10 seats.
