WASHINGTON — As Republicans hold firm on tough immigration and border policy reform as a condition for continuing military aid to Israel and Ukraine and humanitarian assistance to Gaza contained stalled supplemental national security aid package, U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Judy Chu, D-Calif., issued a joint statement accusing Republicans of “pitting vulnerable groups against each other.”

What You Need To Know

  • Hirono and Chu warned that Republicans are "demanding a more expansive return to Trump-era programs with nationwide expedited removal"

  • Republicans are seeking to rein in what they have characterized as the Biden administration’s overly broad and inconsistently applied discretion to grant temporary entry into the country via so-called humanitarian parole

  • Congress is scheduled to take a holiday break after next week, but Senate negotiators have vowed to press on until a deal is reached

  • Hirono and Chu conceded that the U.S. immigration system is “badly broken” but said pushing for reform at the expense of other critical funding priorities, including necessary foreign aid, is “bad policymaking"

“We are deeply alarmed by the latest reports on Republican demands for permanent anti-immigrant policies in exchange for temporary funding for Ukraine,” the senators stated. “In addition to demanding sweeping changes to our asylum system that will fail to improve conditions at the border and result in vulnerable people being sent back to danger, Republicans are demanding a more expansive return to Trump-era programs with nationwide expedited removal.

“This will terrorize undocumented communities throughout the country and could lead to the deportation of people who have been in the United States for years – all without the basic due-process protection of even seeing an immigration judge,” they continued.

Congress is scheduled to take a holiday break after next week, but Senate negotiators have vowed to press on until a deal is reached.

Specifically, Republicans are seeking to rein in what they have characterized as the Biden administration’s overly broad and inconsistently applied discretion to grant temporary entry into the country via so-called humanitarian parole.

Despite warnings that Ukraine could lose ground in its ongoing conflict with Russia without further U.S. aid, Republicans in the Senate have maintained that meaningful reform on immigration and border policy must be part of the package.

Hirono and Chu, who serves as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said proposed reforms would harm asylum seekers fleeing from political oppression or religious persecution, including an increasing number of individuals from Asian countries arriving at the Southern Border.

“In addition to the grave human consequences, turning away individuals fleeing oppressive regimes will also send a dangerous message to autocratic governments everywhere that the United States has abdicated its leadership on defending human rights, opening the door for them to abandon their international obligations as well,” the lawmakers said.

The senators conceded that the U.S. immigration system is “badly broken” but said pushing for reform at the expense of other critical funding priorities, including necessary foreign aid, is “bad policymaking.”

“While we stand ready to work with anyone on comprehensive immigration reform, the latest Republican proposal should be rejected outright,” they said.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.