President Biden has vowed to “close the border” if Congress passes a bipartisan immigration deal, claiming it will give him the “emergency powers” needed to stem a years-long surge in immigration. ing.
In a Friday press release later published on social media, Biden said the border security measures related to the Ukraine aid package, which Republicans oppose, are “the toughest and fairest set of reforms ever to secure our border.” He said it would be. As a country. ”
“We all know that for too long, our borders have been destroyed,” the president said. “It's long past time to fix that.”
Speaker Mike Johnson says Bill was 'dead on arrival'; Biden presses possibility of border deal with Senate
President Biden speaks during a meeting with the Select Committee on Reproductive Rights to commemorate the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“What we have negotiated so far, if passed into law, would be the toughest and fairest reform to secure our nation's borders to date,” Biden said. “It would give me, as president, new emergency powers to close the border in the event of border congestion. If given that power, I would exercise it the same day I signed the bill into law. ”
In a White House statement, Biden urged lawmakers to provide funding for the Ukraine aid requested in October. That funding would include funding for an additional 1,300 U.S. Border Patrol agents, 375 immigration judges, 1,600 asylum workers, and more than 100 screening machines to prevent crime. Smuggling fentanyl into the United States.
Additionally, the number of visas issued will increase by 250,000 people, and eligibility for green cards will be strengthened.
“For everyone who wants stronger border controls, this is the way to get it done,” Biden said. “If you are serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it.”
As the conflict between Mr. Abbott and Mr. Biden accelerates, President Trump asks states to dispatch National Guard troops to Texas
More than 1,000 immigrants are waiting to enter the United States from Juarez, Mexico. (FOX News Digital/John Michael Raasch)
Hours earlier, House Speaker Mike Johnson sent a letter to his colleagues in the Senate, offering to address border issues and aid to Ukraine if local Republicans feel they are not doing enough to deal with record numbers of illegal immigrants. He suggested the bill had no future in the House. to enter America.
“As the Senate does not seem to be able to reach an agreement, we wanted to provide a quick update on supplements and borders. If the rumors about the content of the draft are true, the proposal will not be available on arrival in the House of Commons in any case. I would have died,” Johnson wrote. “Many of our voters asked an important question: 'What's the point in negotiating new laws with an administration that won't enforce the laws already in place?'”
Mr. Johnson suggested that Republicans were not interested in negotiating the bill because Mr. Biden had already failed to implement his planned illegal immigration bill.
Border front: Republicans back Abbott, Democrats call on Biden to take control of Texas National Guard
“I want to emphasize today that House Republicans will firmly oppose any new policy proposals from the White House or the Senate that would further encourage illegal aliens to violate our laws,” Johnson said.
Biden's argument that the bill was necessary to give him the power to close the border comes after conservatives pointed to the wide range of powers he currently has at his disposal to stop hundreds of thousands of immigrants from entering the United States. There was significant opposition from the faction.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns social media platform X, responded to Biden's announcement by saying, “We don't need to pass a law.” “All we need is an executive order requiring evidence before granting asylum hearings. That used to be the case.”
Just this week, Border Patrol agents near El Paso, Texas, arrested 40 migrants involved in two people-smuggling operations, as encounter rates at the border hit a record high last month, shattering previous statistics.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Migrants are flooding into Eagle Pass, Texas, waiting to be processed. (Fox News)
Customs and Border Protection officials told Fox News Digital that the number of encounters with migrants will reach a staggering 300,000 in the final months of 2023, an increase unimaginable just a few years ago. He said he reached a level he had never been able to reach before.
From December 1st to December 31st, more than 302,000 migrants were recorded attempting to cross the US southern border.
This was the highest single-month total ever. This is also the first time that the number of encounters with immigrants has exceeded 300,000.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
