This Bill Would...

Overwhelm Our Ports of Entry

Help us STOP H.R. 1573, the Access To Counsel Act, before it can further clog our system (and enrich immigration lawyers)

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Dear John,

The Open Borders wing of the Democratic Party is poised to pass a bill that will -- get this -- provide the opportunity to consult with counsel for the millions of would-be visitors to the U.S. who show up at one of our ports of entry without proper documents or "their information cannot be initially verified."

In 2019, for example, 10.2 million would-be entrants' information was missing or incomplete, so they were given what is called a "secondary inspection." Currently, if they don't satisfy U.S. personnel that they are legit, they are refused entry (unless they make an asylum claim!).

Under H.R. 1573, all 10 million would instead be given the opportunity to consult with counsel, or a lawyer. A lawyer to argue that someone should be allowed in without the required documents?

On our NumbersUSA Action Board, the bill is explained this way:

"The Access to Counsel Act, H.R. 1573, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), would require that individuals referred for secondary inspection by a CBP officer at a port of entry are given access to counsel. This would affect approximately 10 million individuals each year. By allowing access to counsel, it would slow down traffic at ports of entry, and individuals who would rightfully be turned away would inevitably find a way to enter the country."

The Congressional Budget Office says that the extra staff to make all this happen will cost the government 700 million dollars over five years. But more important than the money is the jamming up on the system. If every potential visitor can bring in a lawyer to argue for them, imagine how clogged up the whole system will be. Things will get very be backed up, bringing entry to a screeching halt for Americans, immigrants, and visitors alike at our 328 ports of entry.

It's obvious that we HAVE TO STOP THIS BILL.

The vote is tomorrow!

John , if you have not yet made a donation to help us fight Pres. Biden's IMMIGRATION EXPANSION plans, could you give us a little help today? What could be more important to protect America for your children and grandchildren? Even $25 would be a big help!

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If you've been reading our Action Alerts, you know that we've been pushing our members to send messages to their U.S. Representative to demand a "No" vote.

There's actually a second terrible immigration bill being voted on tomorrow called the "No Ban Act", H.R. 1333. This beauty would make it harder for any president to keep out a class of aliens who are detrimental to the national interests of the U.S.. The bill's sponsor wants to prevent presidents from enforcing "travel bans" such as Pres. Trump declared early in his term, or his suspension of H-1B, H-2B, J, and L nonimmigrant visas in the summer of 2020 to protect American workers during the COVID unemployment crisis.

For more details, you can read below, but please help support these efforts by donating TODAY. Your activism is critical, so be sure to visit your Action Board to make sure you've taken all your actions. And remember: your donations can help us help several other of your fellow citizens also take action. In fact, without the financial support of members like you, we couldn't do any of this. PLEASE DONATE TODAY!

Sometimes members write to me saying, "If the vote is about to be held, how can my donation matter?" The answer is every donation counts because this an on-going battle. The donations that were made a few weeks ago have allowed us to resist this awful bill.

What you give today will allow us to fight more bad bills in the weeks to come. See? We have to replenish the piggy bank so we can continue to fight.

You can donate three ways:

1) Give via our web page, using your credit card or Paypal.

2) Check -- see the instructions and a form to print out and send with your check.

3) Call (703) 816-8820 to arrange a wire transfer, stock donation, or to make a credit card donation over the phone. If our office is closed, please leave the time and your phone number and we will call back.

Keep the faith and don't ever give up!

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Jim Robb
VP Operations

P. S. Want to send me your feedback? I'm glad to hear from you at [email protected].

P. P. S.: Remember, if you are ill, unemployed, or living on a small fixed income, please do not contribute. We only ask for help from those able to help.

P. P. P. S.: Here is the extra detail I promised:

From the Congressional Budget Office (issued April 15):

"H.R. 1573 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to allow individuals subject to secondary immigration inspection at U.S. ports of entry to consult with an attorney, accredited immigration official, family member, or immigration sponsor during the inspection. The bill also would require DHS to allow the counsel or interested party to appear in person at the inspection site to the greatest extent practicable. (A secondary immigration inspection is conducted by customs officers if individuals entering the United States do not have the required documents for entry or if their information cannot be initially verified.)

"Approximately 10.2 million individuals were referred to secondary inspection at the United States' 328 ports of entry in 2019. Using information provided by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBO expects that roughly 8 percent of referrals would request access to counsel each year. Immigration at ports of entry has declined significantly in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic; CBO assumes referrals would return to pre-pandemic levels beginning in mid-2022.

"CBO estimates that CBP would need two new full-time officers on average at each port of entry to provide security and transportation services for individuals requesting access to counsel. (The number of CBP officers stationed at each port of entry ranges from several individuals to up to several thousands, and the number of additional officers needed at each port under the bill would vary by the size of the port.) CBO estimates that salaries, benefits, and overtime for the additional staff would cost about $700 million over the 2021-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."