Former Michigan Senator Curtis Hertel (D-Mich.), who is running to replace Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in the 7th Congressional District, is calling on President Biden to exercise more executive power at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Hertel, who is running in a battleground House district, has called on Biden to address the “broken” immigration system through executive action.
“The current border situation impacts constituents in Michigan's 7th Congressional District as communities face challenges related to the fentanyl crisis and housing asylum seekers,” Hertel said in a May 24 letter to Biden and obtained by The Hill.
The former state senator is calling on Biden to take a range of steps that he believes will bring “order” to border crossings and “help” the U.S. economy.
The East Lansing candidate is calling for increased funding for technology used at border crossings, including drones, sensors and cameras, to stop the influx of fentanyl and other illegal drugs. He wants the president to issue an executive order to minimize “abuse” of the asylum process and increase “credible fear standards,” according to the letter. He also wants the commander in chief to regulate the use of asylum claims across ports of entry and prevent cartels from coaching migrants on how to fabricate false stories.
Additionally, Hertel urges Biden to extend work authorization to 1.1 million immigrant spouses married to U.S. citizens, arguing that the executive order will help “secure” the border and add skilled workers to the nation's workforce. Finally, Hertel urges Biden to re-implement the Migrant Protection Protocols (also known as the “Remain in Mexico” program), which was put into place during the administration of former President Trump. First enacted in January 2019, the program requires asylum seekers to wait on the other side of the border while their claims are processed.
Biden has consistently faced criticism from Republicans over his administration's handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, which many have called an “open border.”
According to PBS, the Biden administration is considering an executive order that would allow the commander in chief to temporarily close the southern border in order to curb the flow of people crossing the border.
“We understand that comprehensive immigration reform is a complex issue that requires legislative action,” Hertel said in the letter, “but given Congress' refusal to act, it is essential that the Administration use all available tools, including executive authority, to strengthen security at the southern border, combat the influx of illegal fentanyl, and promote orderly and lawful immigration processing.”
The former state lawmaker praised Biden for working to pass a bipartisan border bill this year, but the measure, which took months to negotiate, was rejected twice by the Senate and died last week on a 43-50 vote.
“It is essential that both parties work together on practical, bipartisan immigration reform that strengthens border security while also providing a path to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants who are deep-rooted members of America and law-abiding, tax-paying members of our community,” Hertel said in the letter.
Hertel will face off against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett, who lost against Slotkin in 2022. Hertel's district was narrowly won by Biden in 2020.
Democrat Barrett has more than $2.1 million in cash on hand, according to her most recent Federal Election Commission filings, while Republican Barrett currently has just over $958,000, according to FEC records, and Hertel has outraised Barrett in fundraising.
The vacant House seat is hotly contested after Slotkin decided to run for Senate this year.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
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