It is still unclear if the bill will pass in the Senate. Senate Republicans have been divided on the bill, with several in McConnell’s ranks arguing that it isn’t strong enough. Some quickly said they would vote against it.“I will not support this deal,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, after the legislation was released.The proposal is aimed at gaining control of an asylum system that has been overwhelmed by historic numbers of migrants coming to the border.Migrants who seek asylum, which provides protection for people facing persecution in their home countries, would face a tougher and faster process to having their claim evaluated. The standard in initial interviews would be raised, and many would receive those interviews within days of arriving at the border. Final decisions on their asylum claims would happen within months, rather than the often years-long wait that happens now. They would also be given work permits if they pass the initial screenings.Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who negotiated the border proposal, told reporters that the legislation would “immediately reassert control of our border, end catch and release policies and, strengthen our broken asylum system, and solve the border crisis.”“America is and continues to be a bastion of hope for true asylum seekers,” she said in a statement later. “But it is not an open door for economic migrants. It has been, as we know, exploited dramatically by cartels in the last four to five years.”If the number of illegal border crossings reaches above 5,000 daily for a five-day average, an expulsion authority would automatically kick in so that migrants who cross illegally are expelled without an opportunity to make an asylum claim. If the number reaches 4,000, presidential administrations would have the option of using the new authority. Under the proposal, migrants could still apply at ports of entry.
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