On Tuesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Tom Perez, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, said he doubted the immigration measures the president took earlier in the day would encourage illegal entry. “We need to control the border, and we’ve done that through executive orders,” he said.
co-host Mary Louise Kelly asked. [relevant exchange begins around 4:05] “So what is Republican Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) missing? Because they don’t support this. He Today’s Statement He called it an “election-year border travesty” and stoked fears that it would “increase illegal immigration and put Americans at risk.” How do you convince people like Chairman Johnson, and others who may share his views, that this is the best path forward?
Perez responded, “Well, we live in a world where people want to make a false choice between securing the border and helping people. If you help people who’ve been here for 23 years, is that somehow going to attract people? I don’t believe that. And we have to eliminate those false choices. The president is a firm believer in balance. We need to control the border, and he’s done that through executive orders, and we need to provide a pathway to opportunity.”
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