The House recently voted to pass a bill banning the use of public schools to shelter illegal immigrants.
The “Schools Not Shelters Act” would block public schools that receive federal funding from sheltering illegal immigrants while many communities struggle to deal with a recent migrant surge.
🔥@virginiafoxx sums up the Schools Not Shelters Act in one sentence: "It's not fair to ask hardworking American taxpayers to pay to house illegal aliens." pic.twitter.com/HGmTDHZ8yR
— House Committee on Education & the Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) July 18, 2023
The legislation passed in the House, 222-201, with all Republicans voting in favor. It currently faces an uncertain future, considering that the Senate and White House are controlled by Democrats.
The White House has already come out and said it opposes the legislation but failed to say whether President Joe Biden would veto it.
“The administration is strongly opposed to H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters Act of 2023, which would supersede local control, interfering with the ability of states and municipalities to effectively govern and make decisions about their school buildings,” the White House statement reads.
For the bill to become law, it must pass the Democrat-controlled Senate to reach Biden’s desk. Yet, such a possibility of the legislation passing the Senate is still there, considering that the 2024 election is a year away and many Democrats who are up for re-election in red states have already handed the GOP several wins.
According to Republicans, the bill is needed because of Biden’s handling of immigration and the border.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) blamed Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams for the influx of migrants across the U.S.
Malliotakis said Biden “opened our borders on day one of his administration with no order, process or plan, and Mayor Adams, who misinterpreted New York City’s ‘Right to Shelter’ law and has continued to incentivize migrants with free housing and benefits.”
“By housing illegal immigrants on school campuses, children are being put at risk,” Rep. John Rose (R-TN) said on the House floor Monday. “And elected officials who endorse these plans are sending a clear message to children and parents that illegal immigrants and President Biden’s failure to secure the southern border matter more than their education.”
“The House of Representatives took an important step toward protecting American schoolchildren and the integrity of their education with passage of H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters Act,” Dan Stein, president of the Federation of American Immigration Reform, said in a statement after the vote.
The legislation recently passed the House, with several Democrats joining Republicans in approving it.
