Biden says he has ‘no idea’ what payments to illegal immigrants will be, but backs compensation

President Biden said Saturday that illegal immigrants segregated during the Trump administration “deserve some kind of compensation” even though he “has no idea” what the dollar amount would be days after he reported payments as $ 450,000 “Garbage” had called.

“If you actually cross the border because of the unheard-of behavior of the last government, legal or illegal, and you’ve lost your child, you’ve lost your child, it’s gone, you deserve some kind of compensation, no matter what the circumstances . “

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November 6, 2021: President Joe Biden jokes about which reporter to call with a question while speaking on the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the State Dinning Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)

“I have no idea what that will be. I have no idea, ”he said.

Biden clarified comments made days earlier describing reports of a plan to give up to $ 450,000 per person to illegal immigrants who were segregated under the Trump administration as “junk”.

“That won’t happen,” he said on Wednesday.

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However, on Saturday he made it clear that he actually supports such payments but said it was “the number I was referring to” when calling the reports “garbage”.

The Wall Street Journal first reported last week that the Department of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services was considering payments in response to a lawsuit by civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, about Trump-era “zero” tolerance “Policy. It could potentially spell payments of nearly $ 1 million per family, though the Journal noted some families might see significantly less.

The reports sparked outrage among Republicans, who saw the payments as both a reward for illegal behavior and an additional incentive for more migrants to enter the US illegally, exacerbating the ongoing crisis on the southern border.

“The Biden administration’s proposed taxpayer-funded $ 1 billion disbursement to illegal immigrants will certainly create an incentive for additional illegal immigration,” said Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee headed by ranking member Jim Jordan in one Letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday.

“This type of action is exactly the wrong message the government should be sending at this point in time,” they wrote.

Biden’s initial dismissal of payments on Wednesday resulted in a reprimand from the ACLU, which said Biden “may not have been fully informed of the actions of his own Department of Justice as it reflects the crimes committed against thousands of families separated from theirs. carefully considered and considered children as deliberate government policy. “

BIDEN LABELS REPORT GOVERNMENT TO PAY SEPARATE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS $ 450,000 “Garbage”

On Thursday, White House Assistant Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went to clean up Biden’s remarks, saying that Biden “is very pleased with the Justice Department’s settlement of individuals and families in a legal battle with the US government.” However, she said the Justice Department had told plaintiffs that the reported figure of $ 450,000 was “higher than anywhere a settlement can land.”

The Justice Department made no response to Fox News on the matter. However, one person with knowledge of the settlements told Fox that the $ 450,000 figure was “too high and inaccurate.”

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Justice Committee member Chuck Grassley also wrote to Garland on Thursday urging the Justice Department to clarify its position amid the confusion.

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“What’s up? Do you intend to stand with the ACLU and continue these massive settlement payments? asked.

“Where’s the Justice Department?” They ask. “This matter needs clarification.”

Meanwhile, Republicans have tabled bills in both the House and Senate that would prevent the Justice Department from reaching such a settlement with illegal immigrants who came into the United States illegally.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-idea-payments-illegal-immigrants-backs-compensation