Tammy Baldwin pushes Biden to aid Whitewater, other cities with migrant influx

WASHINGTON – Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin is calling on President Joe Biden to provide “immediate assistance” to communities in Wisconsin that have experienced an influx of migrants in recent years, highlighting a request for more resources from the City of Whitewater as border security discussions continue on Capitol Hill.

Baldwin in a letter to Biden on Wednesday said the “unprecedented period of migration” in the United States is “straining our infrastructure and our national, state, and local governments’ ability to respond.” She noted the impact of the increasing number of migrants is felt beyond towns and cities along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Addressing this crisis requires leadership,” she wrote, “and as part of your Administration’s response, I urge you to ensure that adequate resources and support are available to towns and cities across Wisconsin to keep our communities healthy and safe for all.”

Her letter comes as lawmakers in Washington have been locked in bipartisan border security discussions. Senate negotiators have so far been unable to reach an agreement on tighter immigration policies in exchange for wartime aid to Ukraine. And House Republicans have been critical of any deal that falls short of their strict border bill passed on a party-line vote last year.

In her letter, Baldwin highlighted Whitewater, where city officials estimate between 800 and 1,000 migrants have arrived since 2022. The city’s police chief sent a letter to Biden last month seeking help dealing with communication, transportation and housing issues stemming from the arrivals.

The uptick in migrants in Whitewater, a city of about 15,700 people, became highly politicized in recent weeks by right-wing websites like Breitbart, though the Whitewater community has been generally welcoming of the migrants, who come mainly from Nicaragua. Police have invested in interpreting software, the school district has hired more Spanish-speaking staff and the library received a grant to translate brochures into Spanish.

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Bryan Steil held a roundtable in Whitewater in November to highlight the strain on the community, during which they placed blame on the Biden administration for failing to secure the southern border.

Baldwin asked Biden to ensure smaller cities like Whitewater are eligible for grant funding to help provide food and shelter to recently arrived migrants.

“This technical assistance is particularly necessary for smaller communities who may lack the resources and capacity of larger municipalities, or who are implementing support services for migrant populations for the first time,” she wrote Wednesday.

Tammy Baldwin faces re-election this year

The letter is the latest instance of Baldwin, who is up for re-election in 2024 in a race that could help determine the balance of the Senate, speaking out on the border — an issue Republicans are sure to make the centerpiece of their 2024 campaigns. Republicans in Washington, including some in Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, have called border security the No. 1 issue currently facing the country.

Baldwin early last month called for a resumption of border policy negotiations after talks between the two parties appeared to break down at the time. She said lawmakers “owe it to the American people to find a compromise that helps secure our border and stop the flow of fentanyl coming into our communities”

In her letter Wednesday, Baldwin said she supports “ongoing bipartisan negotiations on legislation that will help fix our broken immigration system,” secure the border and help stem the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Congress, however, has yet to reach a deal on border security provisions.

Top Senate leaders from both parties Wednesday afternoon indicated they’ve made progress in the ongoing negotiations, and party leaders planned to meet at the White House later in the day to continue those talks.

“We are closer than we have ever been,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Wednesday about negotiations with Republicans on a foreign aid and border security package.  “The sense of corporations between (Senate Minority Leader Mitch) McConnell and myself and the leadership of both sides… bodes very well for getting things done. For the first time I’m optimistic.”

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the Senate negotiators, told reporters negotiators do not yet have an agreement on border policy but said none of the outstanding issues holding up the bipartisan dealmaking are insurmountable. A number of Republicans have made stricter immigrant parole policies a main focus in their requests.

“There are multiple outstanding issues,” Murphy said. “But I have more confidence today than I’ve had in previous days that we can overcome those differences.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin pushes Biden to aid communities with migrant influx