Reacting to House Republicans immediately shooting down any chance they'll consider a 370-page bipartisan Senate border bill within minutes after it was made available to them, NBC's Julie Tsirikin took House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) to task for making assertions on social media that she politely called a "misconstruing" of the facts.
On X, Scalise complained about the bill that Donald Trump reportedly wants blocked, writing: "Let me be clear: The Senate Border Bill will NOT receive a vote in the House. Here’s what the people pushing this 'deal' aren’t telling you: It accepts 5,000 illegal immigrants a day and gives automatic work permits to asylum recipients—a magnet for more illegal immigration."
Responding in kind on her own X account, the NBC Capitol Hill reporter set the record straight or, as she put it, "Let's clear it up."
"While the eventual hope of negotiators is that illegal immigration falls to 0, it can’t happen automatically. SO, there is a provision that forces DHS to shut down the border during migrant surges," she wrote before adding, "@SteveScalise incorrectly says the bill accepts 5k illegal immigrants a day. It would actually shut the border. The border would stay closed until flows are <75% of the trigger number for 7 days. Migrants crossing illegally are processed & repatriated."
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She continued, "Scalise says the bill gives work permits to asylum recipients ('a magnet for illegal immigration') ONLY for migrants who 1) arrive at ports of entry 2) pass asylum screening (& they are surveilled until court date) Migrants crossing illegally are NOT eligible for work permits. The bill ends 'catch and release' Migrants at ports of entry who pass enhanced asylum intv (no new qualifications to seek asylum) are surveilled Migrants between ports of entry are immediately detained Migrants who fail screening are repatriated (bill funds 77 flights per day).
"And finally, there is NO pathway to citizenship for DREAMers NO legal pathways for current undocumented individuals This is a major concession for Democrats and a win for Republicans (The bill DOES authorize work permits for kids of H1B visa holders & prevents deportation)" she concluded.
