President Joe Biden is pointing the finger at congressional Republicans over a surge in irregular migration, after they rejected his recent request for billions in new enforcement funding.
‘I’ve been pushing them — my Republican colleagues — since I got in office. I think we have to make a major change in the border,’ Biden told reporters on Saturday, as he headed to Camp David.
‘I’m prepared to make significant alterations in the border,’ the president added.
After illegal crossings at the southern border with Mexico reportedly hit new record highs in December, Biden has faced tough criticism from Republicans over his handling of the situation.
But the president has pushed back, blaming Republicans in Congress for failing to take up immigration reform, and denying his recent request for $3.5 billion in additional funds for border enforcement and asylum processing.
‘I’ve been pushing them — my Republican colleagues — since I got in office. I think we have to make a major change in the border,’ Biden told reporters on Saturday
A group of migrants moves with a migrant caravan to reach the US border on the side of the highway in Oaxaca, Mexico on January 9
‘On my first day in office…I sent Congress a comprehensive piece of legislation that would completely overhaul what has been a broken immigration system for a long time,’ Biden said in White House remarks last week.
‘But congressional Republicans have refused to consider my comprehensive plan,’ he added.
‘And they rejected my recent request for an additional $3.5 billion to secure the border and funds for 2,000 new asylum personnel…and 100 new immigration judges so people don’t have to wait years to get their claims adjudicated, which they have a right to make a claim legally,’ said Biden.
Record numbers of migrants have been caught illegally crossing the border since Biden took office in 2021.
The Border Patrol arrested about 2 million migrants at the US-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, similar to record-breaking totals during Biden’s first two years in office.
During Donald Trump’s 2017-2021 Republican presidency, migrant arrests peaked at 852,000 in fiscal year 2019.
Republicans say Biden has encouraged migrants by loosening Trump-era restrictions.
They also oppose new Biden policies that allow certain migrants to enter legally for humanitarian reasons, saying they circumvent standard immigration channels.
Mexican soldiers look on as migrants, walking with the migrant caravan moving to reach the US border, wait in line to enter the shelter in Oaxaca, Mexico on January 9
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the target of House impeachment proceedings over allegations he has encouraged illegal immigration with overly lax policies
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) listens to testimony during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing as part of a Republican-led effort to impeach Mayorkas
Border security is a core issue for Republican base voters, and the party has intensified its criticism of Biden´s policies in the run-up to November 5 elections that will determine control of the White House and Congress.
Republicans in Congress have refused to pass additional military funding for Ukraine and threatened a possible government shutdown unless Democrats agree to stringent new border controls.
They have also targeted Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with impeachment proceedings over allegations he has encouraged illegal immigration with overly lax policies.
The Biden administration has dismissed the effort to impeach Mayorkas as a political ploy and says there are record levels of migration in the Western Hemisphere as people flee poor economic conditions, violence, corruption and extreme weather.
It is extremely rare for a US Cabinet secretary to be subject to impeachment.
The only secretary to ever be impeached was former President Ulysses Grant’s secretary of war in 1876 following allegations of corruption.