Rep. Ashley Hinson votes against immigration bills, criticizes Rita Hart challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, voted against two bills that passed the House of Representatives on Thursday that would establish paths to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, including 'Dreamers” brought to the country as children and agricultural workers.

Noting a surge in migrants in February, Hinson faulted President Joe Biden's executive orders, which that she said have 'incentivized” illegal immigration.

'There's 100,000 migrants that crossed the border in February alone,” Hinson said Friday during her weekly call with reporters, citing figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that show immigration on the Mexican border is on the rise.

'We need to be focusing on legal immigration right now. There are too many amnesty provisions in these bills.”

The American Dream and Promise Act would provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act would permit some ag workers to gain a green card if they pay a fine and keep working in the industry for several more years.

'I would be happy to look at a path for citizenship for children who are brought here through no fault of their own, but this bill specifically went too far, beyond amnesty to Dreamers,” Hinson said.

The bills were sent to the Senate.

Hinson also excoriated a House review of an election challenge by Rita Hart, a Democrat who lost to current U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, by just six votes.

The election was certified by Iowa in November, but Hart has challenged that, saying 22 ballots were legally cast in the district but not counted, which would give her a nine-vote win. A House panel is considering the challenge.

'The votes here were counted, recounted and then certified,” Hinson said, calling Miller-Meeks 'a duly-elected member of Congress.”

'I know Iowans are outraged by this,” Hinson continued. 'How are people supposed to trust their votes and know their votes count if the majority party can overturn an election in their favor?”

Lawyers for Hart and Miller-Meeks have until Monday to send their initial briefs to the panel, which voted on party lines to consider the case last week.