On Sunday, US President Joe Biden visited the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas for the first time since he took office, amid a major immigration crisis.
In a highly-controlled visit lasting four hours, Biden spoke with Border Patrol agents, visited a migrant detention centre, the Bridge of the Americas connecting the two countries, and viewed equipment used by border officials to detect illegal drugs.
President Biden traveled to El Paso today to assess border enforcement operations and meet with local officials who have been important partners in managing the historic number of migrants feeling political oppression and violence in Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba. pic.twitter.com/PRvoemzdou
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 9, 2023
While speaking with reporters, Biden revealed, “They need a lot of resources. We’re going to get it for them.”
REPUBLICANS’ CRITICISM
The moment Biden landed in El Paso, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott gave him a letter outlining that the “chaos” at the border was a “direct result” of failing to enforce federal laws. “You have violated your constitutional obligation to defend the States against invasion through faithful execution of federal laws,” he wrote, slamming Biden.
Biden is making his first border visit of his life—a photo op—while pushing for amnesty for millions of immigrants who have crossed into the US illegally.
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 8, 2023
House Republicans will hold him and Mayorkas accountable for creating the most dangerous border crisis in American history.
Abbott also told FOX News that Biden’s visit “is about two years too late and about $20 billion short of what needs to be done.” “He’s not going to achieve my solutions that will make the border safer, more secure and stop illegal immigration,” the governor added.
Though El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego welcomed Biden’s visit, he noted that the President did not “get to see the real difficulties” at the border due to a recent low turnout of arrivals.
BIDEN’S RESPONSE
Biden has blamed the Republicans for constantly stalling his $3.5 billion border proposal to deal with the issue.
While announcing border policy changes on Thursday, Biden stated, “If the most extreme Republicans continue to demagogue this issue and reject solutions, I’m left with only one choice: to act on my own, do as much as I can on my own to try to change the atmosphere.”
My Administration is using the tools available to limit illegal migration, expand legal pathways to immigration, and increase security.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 9, 2023
The approach we’re taking is based on a model we know works.
But to truly fix our broken immigration system, Congress needs to act.
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
The southern border of the country saw a massive increase in illegal border crossings, as 2.4 million arrests were made along the border since 2021, including people who tried to cross more than once. Many have also been expelled under the Trump-era Title 42 border restrictions.
El Paso became the biggest hub of border crossings recently, with the situation becoming so dire last month that Mayor Oscar Leeser imposed a state of emergency as migrants were found sleeping on benches in freezing temperatures.
Biden’s visit also comes against the background of the Supreme Court extending the Title 42 border restrictions till March, with a final order expected in June.
NEW BORDER POLICY CHANGES
As part of the new border policy changes, Biden increased the immigration quota from 24,000 to 30,000 for people from Nicaragua, Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba. These people will be allowed to enter the US through “parole” if they have an American financial sponsor and arrive on a plane.
Biden has rolled out a “parole” program to allow up to 30,000 people per month into the U.S. from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. All four countries are seeing a surge in people fleeing to the United States, which has overwhelmed border officials especially in El Paso, TX.
— Armstrong Williams (@Arightside) January 9, 2023
The changes will help in reducing illegal migration from the four countries, and extra unofficial migrants would be returned to Mexico, which has agreed to accept 30,000 returnees a month.
In this respect, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas remarked on Sunday that the Biden administration was trying to “incentivise a safe and orderly way and cut out the smuggling organisations,” affirming that “it is not a ban at all, and it is markedly different than what the Trump administration proposed.”