"Today, Representative Rosendale introduced the Secure America’s Borders First Act. This bill would prohibit the U.S. government from providing military and security assistance to Ukraine until the border wall system on the southern border is completed, and operational control of the southern border is achieved," the statement said.
The Republican lawmaker's bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Andy Biggs, Bob Good, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Jody Hice, Mary Miller, Ralph Norman, Bill Posey, and Randy Weber.
Washington has been expressing concerns about the purported troop build-up at Russia's border with Ukraine, alleging that Moscow might be planning an invasion. The White House said that it was reviewing its response actions with European allies, which include sanctions, but also mulled providing extra assistance to Kiev via shipments of military hardware and weapons.
For several months the Kremlin has repeatedly denied claims that it plans an "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow also cautioned NATO countries against pumping even more weapons into Ukraine than they had already supplied. Russia warned that not only does this practice give Kiev the incentive to resolve the conflict in its east through violence, but weapons shipments also pose a threat to Russia's national security.
US Domestic Border Troubles
Republicans have repeatedly criticised the US president, Democrat Joe Biden, for failing to tackle the crisis at the country's southern border, where there was a record level of illegal crossings last year. The GOP said that the fact entire migrant caravans had flocked to the US border could be blamed both on Biden's lax approach to illegal immigration, and insufficient funding of projects to prevent it – specifically winding down Trump's border wall project.
Biden brushed off this onslaught, insisting on resolving the problem of illegal immigration by ending its alleged root causes: poverty, lack of jobs, a shortage of certain medicines, and the aftermath of natural disasters in the countries the migrants are fleeing. However, his approach has not resulted in fewer illegal border crossings by the end of 2021 as 178,840 migrants were apprehended in December alone.
Most of those crossing the border illegally get caught and subsequently are either removed from the US and sent home, or apply for residency and stay. The former are usually allowed to live freely in the US until their case is reviewed and they receive a summons. However, official US statistics say that as many as half do not show up for their hearings and they end up staying in the country.