Sen. Chris Murphy on Title 42 and immigration: GOP 'delights at chaos at the border'

Ken Tran, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
37

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., slammed Republican criticism of President Joe Biden’s handling of the southern border after Title 42, an emergency immigration policy that started during the COVID-19 pandemic, ended.

“The majority of that party delights at chaos at the border,” Murphy said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“You saw some of my colleagues … rushed down to the border to take smiling photographs with the border patrol, essentially celebrating the fact that there was chaos because they believe that there’s political gain to be had,” Murphy added.

Title 42, a Trump-era immigration policy that made it easier to expel migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, expired last week. Shortly before its expiration, House Republicans passed a sweeping border security bill that restores construction of a border wall, increases funding for border patrol agents and imposes new restrictions on those seeking asylum.

The bill is almost guaranteed to be dead on arrival in the Senate, and the White House has already promised to veto the bill if it makes it to Biden's desk.

Stay in the conversation on politics Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., listens as Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 29, 2023 in Washington, DC.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., listens as Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 29, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Democrats have sharply criticized the bill for being too harsh, saying it does little in the name of immigration reform. Murphy argued Democrats have been open to talks on comprehensive immigration reform, but accused Republicans of not coming to the table.

“Republicans have had multiple opportunities to come to the table and pass immigration reform that would fix the problem at the border,” Murphy said, adding he thinks only “a small group of Republicans … legitimately want to engage.”

Some House Republicans have said their border security bill is a first step towards immigration reform. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., chair of the Homeland Security Committee, said the bill is meant to strengthen border security – not for immigration reform.

“This was not intended to fix immigration. This bill was to secure our border. Once we secure our border, sure, I think everyone wants a solution for the immigration issue,” Green said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. “We’ll sit down at the table with Democrats and everyone and try to fix our immigration system.”

“We need to fix the security issue then the immigration piece,” Green added.

Related: Shelters? Troops? The latest efforts to fix the border crisis as Title 42 ends

U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., speaks at a news conference with fellow House Republicans after passing H.R.2 - the Secure the Border Act of 2023 at the Capitol, May 11, 2023 in Washington, DC.
U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., speaks at a news conference with fellow House Republicans after passing H.R.2 - the Secure the Border Act of 2023 at the Capitol, May 11, 2023 in Washington, DC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy on border fight: 'GOP delights at chaos'