The White House admitted Wednesday that President Biden has the power to dramatically reduce the migration crisis at the southern border, but insisted he would not use it.
The president took 94 executive actions to reverse Donald Trump’s border policies in the months since he took office, but has refused to issue any as the number of migrants has risen.
A deadlocked Congress has repeatedly failed to agree on measures to reduce illegal crossings, which surpassed 2.5 million last year.
But White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre seemed taken aback by the suggestion that the president should take the lead, when asked why he wouldn’t.
‘Why should I do it unilaterally?’ he demanded she. ‘Why shouldn’t we do it legislatively?’
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre appeared baffled by the suggestion that the president should take the lead when questioned by reporters on Wednesday.
Asylum seekers walk to their interview appointment with US authorities at the El Chaparral border port in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on May 18.
Congress had no say as executive orders poured in in the administration’s early days to abandon Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, halt construction of the border wall and increase job opportunities for those who managed to cross.
White House sources have repeatedly hinted that he would take executive action to reduce crossings, most recently last week when media reported plans to close the border if migrant crossings reach 4,000 a day.
But the president has downplayed the prospect publicly, amid opposition from progressives in his party.
He has complained that courts could overturn any action he has taken and demanded that Republicans in Congress get on board first.
“We are examining whether or not I have that power,” Biden told Univision’s Enrique Acevedo in an interview last month.
“Some suggest I should go ahead and try, and if the court rejects me, the court rejects me.”
But the White House rejected the idea again at Wednesday’s daily press briefing.
President Joe Biden took 94 executive actions to reverse Donald Trump’s border policies in the months after taking office, but has refused to issue any as the number of migrants has risen.
Migration has surpassed inflation as voters’ biggest concern since February
“Legislation is needed, it needs to happen in a bipartisan way,” Jean-Pierre said.
‘What I will say is that it is time to do this, to get this going.
‘We were able to achieve a bipartisan negotiation, a plan on an issue that concerns many Americans, an issue that matters for our immigration system, for what is happening at the border.
“And that’s a good thing.”
It came as Oklahoma became the latest state to be sued by the Biden Administration over attempts to make illegal immigration a state-level crime and allow local police officers to act as immigration agents.
Officials had anticipated a legal challenge from the Biden Administration, which has already sued Texas and Iowa over similar laws.
“Unfortunately, this administration has adopted a unique solution, they are the federal government and they know that all states are stupid and unconstitutional,” Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond told local media.
A cross-party bill to tighten immigration controls collapsed after months of negotiation in February, after Donald Trump claimed the president already had the power to control crossings and demanded that Republicans vote against it.
Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows the President to block the entry of immigrants deemed “detrimental” to the national interest.
President Trump repeatedly relied on that section of the law during his term to exclude certain immigrants who crossed illegally and sought asylum at the southern border.
Immigration overtook inflation as voters’ top concern in February polls and the issue appears certain to be a key political battleground in November’s presidential election.
And there are signs that public opinion is hardening: A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week suggests that 56 percent of voters want the government to arrest and deport most or all immigrants in the United States illegally. Joined.
The Senate will vote later this week on a new bipartisan measure that would fund thousands more Border Patrol agents, invest in technology to catch drug traffickers and increase the number of immigration agents in a bid to reduce the backlog of cases. asylum that is years overdue.
It came as a shocking poll this week found that more than half of Americans want to see mass roundups and deportations of undocumented immigrants.
It would also make explicit the president’s ability to take action unilaterally within the law.
“We are hopeful that this bipartisan proposal will bring serious Republicans back to the table to advance this bipartisan solution for our border,” Senate Leader Chuck Schumer wrote to congressional leaders.
Jean-Pierre urged Congress to unite behind the new bill and “all senators to put aside partisan politics and vote to secure the border.”
But the new bill is expected to follow the same path as the previous one in the face of a bipartisan rebellion, putting more pressure on the president to take unilateral action.
His press secretary’s refusal to consider the idea after accepting the premise that it could cause a social media furor.
“For the president to say ‘it’s not my job’ like he works at Arby’s is crazy,” one tweeted.
‘If protecting borders is not part of a president’s job, what’s next? Whose job is it, the Easter Bunny? wrote another.
‘He broke it, why should you expect him to fix it?’ “It’s an amazing shot,” added a third.
