May 31, 2024 12:40p
(WGTD)---First District Congressman Bryan Steil and a retired chief of the U-S Border Patrol contended in Kenosha Thursday night that a measure that was billed as a bi-partisan proposal on immigration reform would only make matters worse.
The Republican from Janesville and Rodney Scott addressed an audience of about 200 at Indian Trail High School. The town hall-styled forum that was organized by Steil also featured Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman, Sheriff Dave Zoerner and Kenosha Police Department Det. Pablo Torres.
The bill referred to by Steil and Scott was narrowly defeated in the Senate and never made it to the House. Both said the bill had too many loopholes, although supporters touted it as a good first step that would’ve resulted in a more secure border.
The 90-minute forum featured a broad discussion on border security and immigration reform. Steil said it was his desire to get the facts outs. "You shouldn't walk out of here thinking that every individual and comes across the border and enters the country illegally is a criminal or a bad individual," Steil said. "America is a beacon of hope. We're a nation of immigrants. This is about being a country of legal immigration versus a country of illegal immigration," he said.
Scott said a less porous border would lead to a more humane way of dealing with asylum seekers and make the country safer. "Good border security protects our ability to protect the most vulnerable around the world by having a functional immigration policy and law so we can actually give asylum to people who really need it," Scott said.
Current asylum law requires anyone who seeks it after crossing the border to be temporarily detained, given a court date then released. The problem is that immigration courts are so jammed that there’s a several-year delay before cases even come up. Only about 2% of asylum seekers wind up being approved, Scott said.
Currently more than half of those who illegally cross the southern border are non-Mexican citizens, with most of those coming from central and south America.
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