WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Friday vowed to stop border crossings if “it goes too far.” Congress is bipartisan immigration legislation giving him this power.
One strongly worded statementBiden has thrown his support behind an immigration deal in the Senate that former President Donald Trump wants to torpedo as it could give his likely opponent a legislative victory in November.
“What’s being negotiated — if passed into law — will be the toughest and fairest set of border security reforms we’ve ever had in our country,” Biden said Friday night. “It would give me, as president, new emergency authority to close the border if it’s overcrowded. “If this authority was given, I would use it the day I signed the bill.”
Biden, who recently expressed optimism that there could be a bilateral agreement come soonreiterated that the border was “broken” and argued that “fixing it is long overdue”.
“Securing the border through these negotiations is a victory for America. For anyone who wants to strengthen border control, this is the way to do it.” “If you’re serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I’ll sign it.”
Republicans in Congress, especially in the House of Representatives, have said they will accept aid money for Ukraine only if it is combined with tougher immigration policies.
The Biden administration requested an addition last year border finance To help Ukraine and Israel. Senate negotiators recently accelerated talks to reach a deal on those issues, even as Trump encouraged Republicans to reject a bilateral border deal.
Biden’s announcement on Friday came as he released figures showing encounters with US Customs and Border Protection undocumented migrants In December, it hit a new record of over 300,000 – most of them on the southwest border.
The U.S. saw a more than 50% drop in border encounters between southwestern ports of entry in the first half of January, according to preliminary government data.
“CBP’s message to anyone attempting to circumvent legal means to enter the United States is simple: don’t do it,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. “Non-citizens risk their lives when they cross the border illegally.”
Julia Ainsley contributed.