77 Democrat Lawmakers Author Letter Criticizing Biden’s Handling of Border Crisis
Two days after President Joe Biden met with Democratic congressional lawmakers, 77 of those elected officials sent a letter on Jan. 26 urging him to reverse plans to limit asylum access and eligibility on the U.S.–Mexico border.
This letter shows the division among Democrats over how the Biden administration should handle this matter illegal immigration crisis.
The Biden administration had released an extensive plan earlier in January to decrease illegal border crossings. This included a declaration that Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan immigrants will be returned under Title 42 to Mexico if they enter illegally. This plan provides legal immigration options for migrants and asylum seekers with U.S. sponsors.
As part of the Biden administration’s plan, 30,000 migrants from the four nations can apply for asylum protection from their home countries. Mexico has agreed that it will accept 30,000 migrants per month.
“We believe that your administration can and must continue to expand legal pathways for migrants and refugees into the United States—without further dismantling the right to seek asylum at our border. This right is a pillar of the post-war international order to which the United States has committed itself,” The Democratic legislators wrote.
“Instead of issuing a new asylum transit ban and expanding Title 42, we encourage your administration to stand by your commitment to restore and protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees.”
Created as part of the Public Health Service Act under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, Title 42 was designed to prevent the introduction of contagious diseases in the United States.
The Trump administration issued an order restricting entry to the United States at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020.
The Supreme Court stopped Title 42’s termination in December 2022.
In its decision, the court agreed to hear arguments in February about whether a coalition of Republican-led states can challenge a lower court’s ruling that ordered the Biden administration to end Title 42, which remains in place.
The letter’s authors praised the Biden administration’s program that allows American citizens and people with legal status in the United States to sponsor migrants from the four countries. The strategy’s reliance upon policies of former President Donald Trump was criticized by the authors.
Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua weren’t previously included in Title 42, the lawmakers noted. The Biden administration should also decide to not move forward on a proposal that will prevent migrants from asylum if they’re unable to find refuge in third countries before arriving in the United States, which is a measure the Trump administration attempted to enact.
In a press conference on Jan. 26, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), flanked by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), said, “No matter how many Trump policies the Biden administration resurrects, Republicans will continue to obstruct any effort to actually reform our border processing and modernize our immigration system.
“We recognize that the United States is experiencing a difficult migration challenge at the southern border. But as elected officials, we are duty-bound to propose legal solutions, one that protects asylum seekers while also securing the safe removal of migrants who have no legal claim to stay in the United States.”
The letter to Biden wasn’t signed by Democratic leaders in the House or Senate.
“I haven’t seen the letter but we look forward to, as Democrats and as members of Congress, having a healthy discussion about how we deal with the complexity of issues connected to comprehensive immigration reform and making sure we have a safe, secure, and strong border,” Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was the House Minority Leader.
20 Republican-led countries asked a federal court to end the sponsorship program for migrants from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua on January 24, citing its violation of U.S. immigration laws.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on January 25th that they have received an average of 120 daily encounters from illegal immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti. That’s 97 percent less than in early December 2022 when numbers rose to a record high of 3,367 encounters each day.
“These expanded border enforcement measures are working,” Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary, stated on January 25. “It is incomprehensible that some states who stand to benefit from these highly effective enforcement measures are seeking to block them and cause more irregular migration at our southern border.”
Biden claimed that Republicans were trying score during his address to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “political points” The following are the border crisis He criticized them for their inability to support his immigration policy.
“The first bill I introduced was a comprehensive reform legislation on immigration. But because of some in the Congress, they refused to consider it. They found it a better issue to campaign on than an issue to solve,” Biden said.
“So, we have a choice. They can keep using immigration to try to score political points, or we can help solve the problem. Immigration reform used to be a bipartisan issue. And we can make it that again, in my view.”
Biden has to deal with the backlash from members of his party, but Republicans continue to oppose his border strategy.
On Jan. 24, 20 Republican-led states filed a lawsuit in a Texas-based federal court challenging the Biden administration’s recently announced program to accept 30,000 illegal immigrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
According to the lawsuit, the program lacks legal authority and states will be affected by illegal immigration from four countries.
“The Biden open borders agenda has created a humanitarian crisis that is increasing crime and violence in our streets, overwhelming local communities, and worsening the opioid crisis,” In a statement, Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General, discusses the lawsuit. “This unlawful amnesty program, which will invite hundreds of thousands of aliens into the U.S. every year, will only make this immigration crisis drastically worse.”
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