In a major blow to House Republicans, some far-right Senate Republicans, and Donald Trump, the labor union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents and staff on Monday endorsed the Senate border bill, saying it “will drop illegal border crossings nationwide.”

The entire House Republican leadership team in a statement Monday called the Senate bill “DEAD on arrival.” The legislation, seen as the “harshest” immigration bill in decades, also provides billions for defense in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

Just last week Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, appeared before a GOP-controlled House committee, testifying, “I can honestly say border patrol agents want him impeached,” referring to Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

But on Monday, Judd and the NBPC broke from House Republicans.

“Since Joe Biden has been in office, CBP [Customs and Border Patrol] has averaged over 8,000 apprehensions per day and the vast majority of these illegal immigrants have been released under a policy known as catch-and-release,” he said in a statement. In another version that number read “6,700.”

“Approximately 60% of all border apprehensions are single adults, a good number of whom are military age men,” he added, echoing GOP talking points.

“Approximately 60% of all border apprehensions are single adults, a good number of whom are military age men,” he added, echoing GOP talking points.

But then Judd added:

“The Border Act of 2024 will give U.S. Border Patrol agents authorities codified, in law, that we have not had in the past. This will allow us to remove single adults expeditiously and without a lengthy judicial review which historically has required the release of these individuals into the interior of the United States. This alone will drop illegal border crossings nationwide and will allow our agents to get back to detecting and apprehending those who want to cross our borders illegally and evade apprehension. While not perfect, the Border Act of 2024 is a step in the right direction and is far better than the current status quo. This is why the National Border Patrol Council endorses this bill and hopes for its quick passage.”

Fox News’ Bill Melugin adds, ” Like every union, this doesn’t represent the views of every Border Patrol agent, but the union is vehemently anti-Biden & pro-border security, just look at their X posts, and the union president is a supporter of former President Trump – who said he is against the deal.”

Indeed, the National Border Patrol Council endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2016 and 2020.

Trump strongly opposes the legislation, and has warned all Republicans against voting for it, instead demanding a “perfect” bill that allows zero undocumented immigrants to cross the border.

“Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill,” Trump said on Truth Social, while calling it a “great gift to the Democrats, and a Death Wish for The Republican Party,” according to Politico.

Reprinted with permission from AlterNet