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FOLLOWING CONGRESSMAN RYAN'S DEMAND FOR URGENT ACTION, PRESIDENT BIDEN ISSUES MEASURE TO RESTORE ORDER AT THE BORDER

June 4, 2024

Following Congressman Ryan’s Demand for Urgent Action, President Biden Issues Measure to Restore Order at the Border 

On May 8th, after Republicans again failed to pass the Bipartisan Border Act of 2024, Ryan wrote to Biden, calling on the President to use all tools at his disposal to address crisis at border  

Ryan, a sponsor of the bipartisan Dignity Act, continues to call on his colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to come together and pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation

WASHINGTON, DC –  Today, following Congressman Ryan’s demand for urgent action and his call on the President to use all tools at his disposal to address the crisis at the border, President Biden issued a measure to restore order at the border. Biden’s executive order includes a provision to close the border when there is an average of 2,500 crossings a day over a seven day period, a threshold that has already been met over the past week. This shutdown would not block trade, travel or entry by immigrants presenting themselves lawfully for asylum at ports of entry. Ryan, a sponsor of the bipartisan Dignity Act, also continued his call on his colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to come together and pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. 

“Since day one, I’ve been fighting to restore order at the border. This isn’t a Democratic issue, or a Republican issue – it’s an American issue. Today’s executive action is a significant step to restoring order at the border,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “I’m calling on my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to take this opportunity to come together as Patriots and pass comprehensive immigration legislation, including my bipartisan Dignity Act. Executive action is an important step, but we need an act of Congress to permanently secure the border, fix our broken asylum system, hire additional border patrol agents, and stop the flow of dangerous fentanyl flooding into our community.”

Congressman Ryan is a member of the Democrats for Border Security Task Force. In May, due to Congress’ continued inaction on readily available, bipartisan border solutions, Congressman Ryan called on the Biden Administration to take executive action to begin to mitigate the crisis at the Southern border. The Biden Administration responded days later by announcing changes to speed up the processing of new migrants at the border and expedite deportations. Today’s Executive Order is another step to restore order at the border.

Congressman Ryan has repeatedly called on House leadership to bring comprehensive, substantial immigration reform and border security funding to a vote. In February in both a speech on the House floor and in a letter, Congressman Ryan called on Speaker Johnson and GOP Conference Chair Stefanik to bring the Senate-proposed national security supplemental to a vote in the House. The supplemental included the most comprehensive border security and immigration reform in decades and had been negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators and the Biden Administration. 

In August of 2023, Congressman Ryan joined colleagues in a letter calling on then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to bring the Biden Administration's proposed over $4 billion border security funding supplemental to a vote in the House.

In April, Ryan cosponsored H.Res 1132 “Condemning Republican inaction to address comprehensive immigration reform and border security” after the repeated failed responses by House leadership to bring readily available, bipartisan border and immigration legislation to a vote in the House.

While House Republicans have blocked votes on full border security funding and comprehensive immigration reform, Congressman Ryan has built a record of calling for and working towards solutions, including calling for streamlining the process of granting asylees work authorization and calling extensively for and helping secure Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, the largest population of migrants coming to New York City, so they could immediately gain work authorization. Ryan also introduced the Courage to Serve Act to create a pilot program that would allow a qualified set of migrants to receive an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for military service. Ryan also cosponsors the Dignity Act which would improve the work authorization process, increase pathways to citizenship, and bolster the processing of asylum requests. 

Congressman Ryan has been adamant that border security legislation must include funding to combat the trafficking of illicit fentanyl across the border, including demanding that $800 million be included in H.R. 2, the border bill passed by House Republicans that failed to include any mention of illicit fentanyl. Ryan also cosponsors the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, the Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act, the END FENTANYL Act, and the Disarming Cartels Act. Ryan also cosponsors legislation to improve U.S. Customs and Border Patrol hiring and employee retention.

When governors from southern border states began transporting migrants to New York State in the summer of 2023, overwhelming the state’s available resources, Congressman Ryan immediately joined with Congressman Mike Lawler on a bipartisan letter calling for President Biden to approve New York’s request for a major disaster declaration to usher in additional federal resources.

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