Senate Republicans, led by Daines, move to block reported $450k payments to illegal immigrants

Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., on Wednesday moved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, which would bar a reported plan by the Biden administration to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to illegal immigrants who were separated at the border – just as President Biden strongly denied the report.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering payments of $450,000 to those who crossed the border illegally and were separated from family members. It is in response to a lawsuit by civil rights groups. 

The payments could therefore amount to close to $1 million per family and $1 billion overall, although the Journal said that many families would get smaller payouts.