National Parks to Be Banned From Housing Illegal Immigrants Under GOP Plan

House Republicans have proposed barring the National Park Service (NPS) from using federal funds to house migrants without legal status, part of a wider spending measure that would set new limits on how public lands can be used. The provision is included in the fiscal 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill released this week by the House Appropriations Committee. Why It Matters It comes as hardline Republicans have proposed a series of policies aimed at limiting federal resources available to migrants, both those entering the country without authorization and those seeking legal pathways.

What To Know The proposal is part of a much wider funding package that serves as Congress ’s annual budget for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and dozens of related agencies overseeing public lands, conservation, and tribal programs. The bill would provide about $38. 9 billion in discretionary funding, according to the committee summary.

Appropriations measures of this type typically fund the NPS, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the EPA and programs supporting Native American communities, according to congressional research. GOP Chair Tom Cole said in a press release, “America’s public lands and natural resources are not just part of our heritage – they are strategic assets that support recreation, connect our communities, grow opportunity, and reinforce our way of life. ” Close-up of carved logo for National Park Service in San Francisco, California, on June 28, 2020.

The House Republican proposal emphasizes energy development and regulatory changes, while reducing funding in some areas. It includes a $1. 8 billion cut to the EPA, about a 20 percent reduction, and seeks to expand domestic mining and energy production on federal lands, according to the committee summary.