Visas Salvaged, Immigrant Detention Cut in Democrats’ Proposal

Senate Democrats are proposing to secure legal representation for asylum seekers, salvage unused visas, and boost funding for US border authorities.

The chamber’s fiscal 2023 appropriations draft bill for the Department of Homeland Security would provide $59.9 billion in discretionary funding, a $2.4 billion boost from current levels. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) who leads the Senate Appropriations Committee’s homeland security panel, pitched the bill as both an investment in border security and improvement in the processing and treatment of migrants.

The proposal will likely undergo dramatic changes as Democrats and Republicans hash out a funding deal for fiscal 2023, but serves ...