WASHINGTON – President Biden claimed Tuesday that he has “done everything we can” to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, but House Speaker Mike Johnson said that is “absolutely not true.”
“I’ve done everything I can. Just give me strength. I’ve been asking you since the day I took office,” the 81-year-old president told reporters on the White House lawn as he left for a fundraiser in South Florida. Told.
“Give me the Border Patrol, give me the people, give me the judges. Give me the people who can stop this and make it work properly,” he added.
Johnson (R-Louisiana) counterattack against X, “That’s simply not true. He’s either lying or misinformed.”
The speaker further added: “Here are just a few of the powers at his disposal. If he chooses to use them: a) • Mandatory detention 236(c). No excuses.”
Biden’s claims that Republicans are obstructing border security come as conservatives, including Johnson, have expressed resistance to the details of the bill, which is reportedly being discussed in bipartisan Senate talks. It reflects a message from the White House that critics argue could actually worsen the crisis by bringing more immigrants to the United States.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that any new restrictions that could be agreed by the Senate could be ignored by Biden, and that the president would “show good faith by taking immediate action” to secure the border. He added that he should.
Biden launched his 2020 presidential bid earlier this month by acknowledging the border was not secure, saying “massive change” was needed, and vowing to reverse former President Donald Trump’s hard-line border policies. .
On his first day in office, Biden halted construction of President Trump’s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and then reversed his predecessor’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, which required most asylum seekers to await sentencing on persecution claims south of the border. has ended.
Biden’s claim that he called for expanded border control powers on his first day in office refers to: proposed bill It would provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the United States and streamline the asylum process for new arrivals. The proposal, which Republicans have criticized as potentially leading to more illegal immigration, would also invest money in border security technology.
Republicans are pressuring Biden to re-adopt tougher Trump-era border policies, including detaining people who cross the border illegally.
The House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday was scheduled to approve articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failing to enforce the law. It also includes a provision that says asylum seekers who enter the United States illegally will be “detained” pending the outcome of their case.
The number of illegal border crossings in the South hit an all-time monthly high of more than 302,000 people (equivalent to the population of Pittsburgh or Newark) in December, according to federal data released Friday.
Under the Biden administration, the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are being allowed into the United States to await their asylum decisions. They are entitled to a work permit as their application is pending before the backlog review system.
Mayorkas, who has repeatedly insisted in Congressional hearings that “the border is safe,” said this month that more than 85% of those apprehended for crossing the border illegally have been released into the United States, up from 71% in October and 74% in 2019. %. November.
The Biden administration has also established a special “parole” program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, with a total of 30,000 people from those countries being released each month by regular means such as planes. He is allowed to enter the United States to await sentencing.
In fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30, about 2.5 million people, about the same number of Chicago residents, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, in addition to an estimated 670,000 “fugitives” who evaded authorities. was arrested.
In fiscal year 2022, there were approximately 2.4 million arrests, a record at the time, up from 1.7 million arrests in fiscal year 2021.
The border crisis is a heavy responsibility for Mr. Biden, who faces an expected rematch with President Trump.pew survey poll A poll released last month found that only 32% of Americans believe Biden can make “wise decisions on immigration.”
