Rep. Biggs: Congress Must Defund Biden's Taxpayer-Funded 'Legal Services' for Illegal Aliens

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is warning congressional appropriators that they must defund President Joe Biden’s taxpayer-funded “legal services” for illegal aliens.

Last month, as Breitbart News reported, details circulated of Biden’s expanded legal services for border crossers and illegal aliens — an effort to help them remain in the United States by evading deportation.

Known as Legal Access at the Border (LAB), the program would spend millions in American taxpayer dollars to contract with private legal firms that would then provide border crossers and illegal aliens with a range of services after they arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border in California, Texas, and Arizona.

“American taxpayers should not be paying for illegal aliens to be given free legal aid services,” Biggs said. “This action would only further incentivize immigrants to cross our borders illegally.”

In a letter to House appropriators — including Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Kay Granger (R-TX), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) — Biggs and 24 House Republicans urged them to ensure that no taxpayer money is spent on legal services for border crossers and illegal aliens.

“Taxpayer dollars should not be spent to help illegal aliens exploit loopholes in immigration law and remain in the United States. We request that you strongly oppose funding for programs to provide legal aid to illegal aliens in all future appropriations bills,” the Republicans write:

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)’s recently announced Legal Access at the Border program is simply the latest initiative by the Biden administration that will encourage illegal immigration. Instead of spending money on this program, Congress should prioritize appropriations for apprehending, prosecuting, and removing illegal aliens from the United States as well as addressing the existing caseload of over 1.6 million pending immigration cases. [Emphasis added]

… it appears the program is intended to help illegal aliens exploit loopholes in immigration laws to allow aliens to remain in the United States. This could include encouraging them to file potentially meritless — or worse, fraudulent — asylum claims. [Emphasis added]

LAB, the Republicans write, is a maneuver by the Biden administration “to circumvent the statutory prohibition on the use of taxpayer funds for attorneys for [illegal] aliens” who are in deportation proceedings.

Biggs told Breitbart News in a statement that the Biden administration “has committed impeachable offenses” with its so-called “sanctuary country” orders that prevent federal immigration officials from arresting.

“Instead of spending taxpayer dollars to provide legal aid to illegal aliens, Biden should prioritize enforcing our nation’s laws, securing our border, and addressing the backlog of more than 1.6 million cases pending before the immigration courts,” Biggs said.

Biden’s goal envisions “European-style reception centers” where border crossers and illegal aliens are immediately met with medical services, legal advice, and educational programs.

Already, illegal aliens are being provided with taxpayer-funded attorneys in major American cities to fight their deportations from the U.S.

Last month, Breitbart News exclusively reported how an Immigration and Reform Law Institute (IRLI) investigation revealed that taxpayers in 22 cities with deportation defense programs will be charged at least $5.2 million to provide illegal aliens with free lawyers in Fiscal Year 2022.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter here. 

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