Staff Reports
President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to take executive action on immigration this week, surprising many who have heard him insist that he had exhausted his power to deal with the border crisis. Critics have pointed out the president’s repeated claims that he had done all he could do to address border security. The White House had previously stated that there was no executive authority to secure the border, but the administration’s plans to issue an executive order using section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act have raised questions. The order would limit migrants’ ability to seek asylum at the southern border once a certain threshold of daily crossings is reached.
The reported 4,000 daily border crossings over the span of a week has prompted inquiry into the administration’s sudden authority and the decision-making process behind the threshold number. Additionally, the administration’s termination of over 350,000 asylum cases without a decision on the merits of the claims has raised concerns about a “mass amnesty” program for migrants. This program allows migrants to legally stay in the US without fear of deportation. Meanwhile, reports of Turkish nationals flooding across the San Diego border illegally have been accompanied by messages from their smugglers expressing confidence in the border remaining open after the November election.
Biden: I've Suddenly Found the Immigration Authority I've Been Insisting I Don't Have https://t.co/vRKUSDGvus
— BapouSpoon (@BapouSpoon) June 4, 2024
Conservatives are questioning the timing and motivations behind President Biden’s executive actions, given the administration’s previous claims of limited authority to address the border crisis. The concerns about the termination of asylum cases and the impact of unchecked illegal crossings on border security are also being raised in response to the administration’s reported plans.
