The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the Biden administration was in talks to offer families separated at the border in 2018 about $450,000 a person in compensation. Asked about the story by Fox News’ Peter Doocy on Wednesday, President Joe Biden called the report “trash” and “garbage” and that it wasn’t going to happen.
On Thursday, however, White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Justice Department was still in talks about the payments but said it was the $450,000 figure that Biden was dismissing as “garbage.” Biden was “perfectly comfortable” making compensation payments, though.
So to recap: It was reported that the White House plans to pay $450,000 to illegal immigrants. Joe Biden denied it. And now, a day later, the White House staff comes out and says they DO in fact intend to pay settlements to illegal immigrants.
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) November 4, 2021
Today, Joe Biden’s White House confirmed he is “perfectly comfortable” with paying illegal immigrants hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars for breaking the law.
Yesterday, Biden said, “That’s not gonna happen.”
ROLL THE TAPE! pic.twitter.com/TJDYPOZtzq
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 4, 2021
In response, Rep. Tom McClintock has introduced the Illegal Immigrant Payoff Prohibition Act of 2021.
🚨 Today, I introduced the Illegal Immigrant Payoff Prohibition Act of 2021 alongside @GOPLeader, @Jim_Jordan, & 144 of my @HouseGOP colleagues. The bill prevents the Attorney General from making $450,000 settlement payments to illegal immigrants. https://t.co/KaDG0mtcrP
— Tom McClintock (@RepMcClintock) November 4, 2021
Recommended
Why not say payment of any amount?
— Ellis Drone Images (@ChefChrisEllis) November 4, 2021
Why didn’t you make it any amount not just $450k????
— Teresa Cheek (@TeresaCheek12) November 4, 2021
Biden will just lower it to 449000
— Badwater (@BadwaterTim) November 4, 2021
Sounds a lot like sue-settle. I think congress should review every sue-settle case made by any federal agency.
— Schmidlap2024 (@schmidlap2020) November 4, 2021
It sounds like the Justice Department is in talks with the ACLU, which sounds like it plans to sue unless it can reach some kind of settlement.
Sen. Ted Cruz has a suggestion:
So @JoeBiden wants to give $450k to every illegal immigrant.
And Hunter Biden paintings “sell” for $500k each.
Perfect solution: give a Hunter Biden painting to every illegal immigrant.
A Win-Win! 😎
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 4, 2021
So are payments happening or not? CNN reported that $450,000 payments aren’t happening, but Biden “did not go into detail about any possible monetary settlements for them.” So that “garbage” Wall Street Journal report was probably true, and the Justice Department is negotiating down from $450,000.
Related:
White House confirms it was the dollar figure to be paid to illegal immigrants that Biden called ‘garbage’ https://t.co/bqQ6aGpTq8
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 4, 2021
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