House GOP to block Biden admin’s plan to pay illegal immigrants up to $450,000 for border separation policy

On Thursday, Rep. Tom McClintock is expected to introduce the "Illegal Immigrant Pay-off Prohibition Act." The bill, which was co-sponsored by House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Jim Jordan, and 135 other members, seeks to "amend title 28, United States Code, to prohibit payments of compromise settlements arising out of certain violations of the immigration laws, and for other purposes."

Title 28 currently gives the attorney general the authority to make financial settlements. House Republicans are seeking to amend the legislation, to add that:

"No payment of a compromise settlement may be made in relation to a civil action brought by an alien who is inadmissible under section 212(a)(6)(A) or (7)(A)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(A) or (7)(A)(i)(I)), or who entered the United States in violation of section 275(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1325(a)), in connection with conduct described in any such section, unless expressly authorized by law."

On October 28, it was reported that the Biden administration was "considering payments of $450,000 per person affected by Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy in 2018," adding that the move was in response to lawsuits filed by migrants who claim they were subjected to "lasting physical trauma" by the US government.

In a press conference on Wednesday, President Biden dismissed the idea of financially compensating illegal immigrants.

When asked by Fox News' Peter Doocy about the proposed plan, President Biden called the idea "garbage," adding that it's "not gonna happen."

According to FOX, however, the American Civil Liberties Union claims the president misspoke. He "may not have been fully briefed about the actions of his very own Justice Department," ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said, "as it carefully deliberated and considered the crimes committed against thousands of families separated from their children as an intentional governmental policy."

Romero added that if President Biden does not follow through with the plan, he would be "abandoning a core campaign promise to do justice for the thousands of separated families."

Pundit and Democrat Juan Castro said that these weren't payments, but "settlements."