WASHINGTON — Democrats are preparing an aggressive new immigration strategy months after Republicans blocked a bipartisan border security bill aimed at easing record high illegal crossings along the southern border, according to officials who discussed the plans with NBC News.
In a meeting at the White House last week, key administration officials and top Democratic lawmakers discussed a way forward that would include a binding vote that Republicans could oppose, two sources said. The discussions included potential actions to be taken in the coming weeks, the three sources said.
Sources said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York attended the meeting, which covered other topics but focused mainly on immigration.
The purpose of the debate was to ensure alignment among Democrats on an issue the party is trying to use ahead of the November elections, when the party will try to regain control of the House and defend control of the Senate and the White House.
In one potential scenario, Senate Democrats could introduce various pieces of legislation, perhaps Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., James Lankford, R-Okla. and Kyrsten will lead by calling parts of the bilateral agreement negotiated by Sinema. I-Ariz. and we try to pass them through a process known as unanimous consent – any senator can object.
“Democrats have made it clear that the situation at the border is unacceptable. That’s why we worked bipartisanly to craft the strongest border security bill in a generation approved by the border patrol union,” Schumer said in a statement.
He blamed Republicans and former President Donald Trump for the collapse of the deal and said: “Republicans should get serious about fixing the border and not ignore Donald Trump. After all, you can’t say it’s an emergency and then refuse to take action.”
After that process, the Biden administration will likely initiate yet-to-be-determined executive actions. discussed privately for monthssources said. The White House also sought input from immigration advocacy groups ahead of any potential executive order.
Two immigration advocacy leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some advocates worry the new policy will be too restrictive on asylum.
A Department of Homeland Security official with knowledge of the discussions said the White House is likely to invoke the authority reserved for the president under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives the president discretion over who is admitted to the United States.
Using that authority, Customs and Border Protection would be directed to block migrants from entering Mexico if daily border crossings exceed a certain threshold. The tactic is similar to a provision in the bipartisan border security bill from February.
Advocacy groups will argue in court that Section 212(f) does not give the president the authority to close the border, a former DHS official and immigration attorney noted. But a former DHS official said even if the Biden administration were to do so, invoking 212(f) would show President Joe Biden is willing to try to control the border, which he is fighting for ahead of his re-election bid. Trump.
An NBC News poll was released last month found that immigration was a top concern among voters this year, with only 28% approving of Biden’s handling of border security and immigration.
No official decision was taken, but a number of measures were discussed. Defense groups and DHS officials believed an order could be announced as early as this week, but more likely in late May or early June, two sources involved in the discussions said.
“The administration spent months in good faith to introduce the toughest and fairest bipartisan border security bill in decades,” a White House spokesman said in a statement.
The spokesman added: “No executive action, no matter how aggressive, can deliver the significant policy reforms and additional resources that Congress can provide and that Republicans have rejected. We continue to urge Speaker Johnson and House Republicans to pass a bipartisan deal to secure the border.
Biden sharply criticized Senate Republicans during his State of the Union address in March hinders the bilateral security agreement they first filed the charge after Trump opposed it.
“I was told that my predecessor called the Republicans in Congress and asked them to block the bill.” Biden said, facing derision from Republican lawmakers in the House. “He thinks it will be a political victory for me and a political defeat for him. It’s not about him or me. That would be a win for America.”
Democrats in swing districts immediately released ads attacking Republicans, with Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.—who flipped the seat held by disgraced former GOP Rep. George Santos—urged others to “attack” before November.
Suozzi’s playbook is one that Murphy urged other Democrats to follow.
“Suozzi has sent aggressive messages on this issue, running ads highlighting his support for a secure border and legal pathways to citizenship,” Murphy said. wrote at the time In a memo obtained by NBC News. “He flipped the script on his Republican opponent.”