How Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn are focusing on immigration issues | Georgiana Vines

Immigration issues on the Texas-Mexico border are hot during this election season with the Republican-dominated Tennessee General Assembly passing some bills dealing with what lawmakers perceive as solving the issues. The state’s two Republican U.S. senators haven't been as successful in Washington but are not giving up either.

First off, the funding bill passed by Congress earlier his month contains nearly $90 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes money to hire more Border Patrol agents, which Democrats and President Joe Biden say are needed.

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, a former U.S. ambassador to Japan and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, sought to amend the appropriations bill to bar the Biden administration from using taxpayer funds to fly people who have entered the country illegally — whom he calls “illegal aliens” — into the United States.

Hagerty said in press releases that “Senate Democrats (are) for siding with illegal aliens over American citizens by voting to count illegal aliens in the allocation of congressional seats and electoral votes to preserve their political power.”

He appears often on conservative Fox News or Fox Business News to discuss his amendments to appropriations bills that the Democratic-controlled Senate wouldn’t agree to. Some of his information comes from the Daily Mail, a British tabloid.

His proposed amendment targeted specifically a Biden program that allows 30,000 immigrants a month from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Columbia to come directly into airports in America without going through the border, so they are not counted as immigrants entering at the border.

“The Biden administration, of course, won't say which airports, but I can only imagine it will be blue cities,” Hagerty said.

His staff has determined a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit says Biden's border patrol program supported “secretive” flights that brought immigrants from foreign countries into at least 43 American airports from January through December 2023. The program was part of Biden's expansion of the CBP (Customs Border Protection) One app, which began at the start of last year.

Migrants were able to apply for asylum by using the app from their home countries. The Center for Immigration Studies says the transportation of these migrants directly to the U.S. is one of the lesser-known uses of the app.

Hagerty’s office also has been notified by some local officials in Middle Tennessee about receiving letters from the Department of Homeland Security on migrants resettling there. Hagerty said on X, formerly Twitter, that “Americans deserve transparency about resettlement in their communities.” The Biden administration has said announcements are not made in advance of the resettlements for security and safety reasons.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, took another trip to the border last week as part of promoting two bills — the Container Act, which empowers border states to place temporary barriers on federal land to protect their communities, and the Clear Act, which reaffirms the authority of state and local governments to enforce federal laws by apprehending, detaining or transferring those entering the U.S. illegally to federal custody.

Blackburn went to Eagle Pass, Texas, where she met with Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw; National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd; and members of the Texas National Guard, a press release said.

“After taking office, President Biden issued 94 executive actions in the first 100 days to open up the southern border, which resulted in over 9.2 million illegal border crossings,” Blackburn said. She added that she saw how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Public Safety “have stepped up to secure our border which President Biden refuses to do.” She said others told of humanitarian and national security impacts of the border crisis. “The message is clear — instead of suing Texas to keep the border open, Biden needs to return to the successful policies of the Trump administration,” she said.

She said she saw firsthand how Texas is using buoys, barbed wire, fencing and containers to secure the border, which she said has resulted in a decreased number of people entering the U.S. illegally. She said border officials have seen a surge in immigrants from China, which a CBS "60 Minutes" report described as the fastest-growing group crossing the border. She also reported she was told cartels and smugglers are using TikTok to recruit children.

The Senate has approved a comprehensive immigration reform bill that was developed by a bipartisan group of senators working with the Biden administration, but it has stalled in the House. Both Hagerty and Blackburn voted against the bill and said it wasn’t tough enough. Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee again this year, also opposes the bill.

Blackburn’s office said nine other senators are sponsoring the proposed Container Act, as is U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C.

One bill that has passed the Tennessee legislation requires local law enforcement agencies to report to the federal government when they arrest a person who is in the U.S. without legal permission. Opponents said they worry it could lead to over-policing and discrimination against people of color.

∎ DEMOCRATS CHOOSING PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATES: With the Republicans choosing their delegates to the Republican National Convention in the March primary, now the Democrats are selecting theirs for the National Democratic Convention in August in Chicago.

Democrats are deciding on the delegates by county and congressional district conventions. The Knox County Democratic Party’s convention was March 16, and 64turned out as selectors for choosing four delegates in the district convention on April 6, said Jack Vaughan, a campaign strategist and candidate to be a delegate.

He said Blount County will have 14 selectors and Loudon, six selectors, at the district convention. Other counties in the district will have smaller representation. Strong favorites for being selected as convention delegates are Knoxville City Councilwoman Debbie Helsley, lawyer Mark Siegel and Vaughan.

The convention will be held at the CWA Union Hall, 1415 Elm St. In addition to district delegates, eight party leader elected-official slots and 14 at-large slots will be selected by the state Democratic Executive Committee.

On the Republican side, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, former U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. and former Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison were top vote-getters in the 2nd Congressional District in the March 5 primary to attend the GOP national convention. They are pledged to former President Trump.

∎ WANT TO RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE? The Knox County Election Commission is offering Knox County Elections 101 “to cut down on some of the noise out there,” says Knox County Elections Administrator Chris Davis.

A seminar for potential candidates, citizens wanting to be poll workers, and voters will be held from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 20 at the Downtown West voting/training facility, 1645 Downtown West Blvd.

Davis said that with the county general elections and state primaries in August and the general election in November, more information is needed for candidates, workers and voters.

“Elections and the preparation and details associated with conducting elections can be very confusing to the average voter. The purpose of the seminar is to cut through some of the noise out there and provide factual information that leads to more informed voters in Knox County. We are seeking community-minded people that will help share the message of voting and the ins and outs of elections to their friends and contacts in the community,” Davis said in announcing the seminar.

The seminar is free, but attendees must preregister. The class will be limited to 40 individuals, with a preference given to those who are frequent voters. They must be registered to vote in Knox County. The deadline to apply is April 17. To register, visit knoxvotes.com.

Georgiana Vines is retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be reached at gvpolitics@hotmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sens. Bill Hagerty, Marsha Blackburn focusing on immigration issues