Exclusive: Rep. Mo Brooks Introduces Measure Allowing Officials to End Settlement of Illegal Aliens in Their States

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) on Wednesday is introducing a measure designed to “empower” local elected officials, including governors, to refuse the federal government’s attempts to resettle illegal aliens in their communities, citing the Biden administration’s “reckless policies” that have left communities in utter shambles.

The “Local Control Act” essentially adds what the congressman’s office described as a “new section” to the Immigration and Nationality Act, which would specifically require the federal officials, including the Secretary of Homeland Security “in consultation with” the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Attorney General, to notify the governor of a state prior to settling the illegal aliens in that specific state. What is more, the measure empowers the governor to stop the settlement altogether.

The bill specifically states, “No Federal funds may be used to transport, house, or resettle any alien without lawful status under the immigration laws within a State without the approval of the Governor of the State.”

Additionally, the bill also states that illegal aliens cannot be placed in a locality within the state if the locality “has in effect a law, a policy with the effect of law, or resolution prohibiting or disapproving of the transportation, housing, or resettling of aliens in that political subdivision,” per the bill’s text.

“While the federal government is tasked with enforcing our immigration laws, it is clearly the states that suffer the fallout,” Brooks told Breitbart News.

“This Administration’s reckless policies have left local communities in shambles, and put American lives at risk. If Joe Biden sees fit to abdicate his responsibility to protect American citizens in their homes and in their communities, then the state’s must be given the right to protect themselves,” he added.

The bill itself has earned the endorsement from Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), described as “one of America’s leading grassroots border security advocacy groups.”

“As the historic crisis on the border continues to worsen, FAIR applauds Representative Mo Brooks’ leadership in assuring that the wishes of the American people are respected by the federal government,” Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), said in a statement, praising the measure for returning power back to the American people by allowing them to refuse these settlement attempts by the federal government.

“The first duty of any government is to protect its citizens against invaders. I believe in empowering governors and local elected officials to defend their states and communities since Joe Biden has proven incapable or unwilling to do his duty,” Brooks said in a statement, citing reports of the Feds transporting illegal aliens in the dead of the night in unmarked vans and covertly dumping them in communities across the country.

“Recently, unvetted Afghan evacuees were placed in Alabama without any Alabamian’s consent. Americans shouldn’t be put at risk of terrorism, illegal alien crime, job losses, wage suppression, or any other number of things by a lawless presidential administration that is dead set on weakening America,” he added.

Brooks’ measure coincides with data released by the Department of Homeland security, which shows that the Feds lost track of over 50,000 migrants released by the agency last year, as they were required to report to ICE once arriving to their desired U.S. location but failed to do so. 

As Breitbart News reported:

The federal disclosure covers the period between March and August 2021. Of more than 270,000 migrants released by DHS, roughly 104,000 were placed in the NTR system which trusts the migrant to voluntarily report to ICE at their intended U.S. destination to begin the deportation process.

The DHS report issued in response to an inquiry by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) notes more than 50,000 migrants — greater than half of those released under NTRs —failed to make formal contact with ICE.

In an exclusive report by Breitbart Texas, the policy change relying on the honor system of self-reporting to ICE went into effect in March 2021. Data released by DHS only addresses the first six months of the procedure in place.

During the first eight days of the new year alone, agents along the southwest border apprehended over 19,000 migrants, as Breitbart News detailed.

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