Democrats Slam Biden Over “Disappointing” Immigration Executive Order
President Biden’s executive order to shut down asylum is already drawing criticism—from within the Democratic Party.
Biden issued an executive order Tuesday that will shut down the southern U.S. border if the average number of border encounters exceeds 2,500, which it already has, and only resume them once the number drops to below 1,500. That means the order could go into effect immediately.
Several Democrats have already slammed the plan, which they say ignores established law requiring the granting of asylum to people with a credible fear in their home countries. A lack of legal paths to immigration has led to more people requesting asylum, and to some Democrats, the new restrictions seem similar to Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
“I’m disappointed that this is a direction that the president has decided to take,” Representative Nanette Barragán, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Tuesday morning.
“We should be distinguishing ourselves from Donald Trump on immigration,” Representative Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told The Washington Post. “We should be offering the contrast.”
Some saw Biden’s order as more tough talk about the border that wouldn’t solve the underlying issues.
“I do not think that shutting down the border, quote unquote, is a remedy that will get us to where we need to be on immigration reform,” said Representative Sylvia Garcia.
Even Democrats in swing districts vulnerable to Republican attacks on immigration aren’t happy with the plan.
“I understand that the Biden administration feels like they need to do something,” said Representative Hillary Scholten, an immigration lawyer in Michigan. “It’s heart-wrenching to see that this is the something that they are choosing, knowing full well that this is not going to come close to solving the problem that we are experiencing.”
Biden has drawn fire for his immigration policies as president, drawing accusations that he has done little to reverse Donald Trump’s widely criticized actions. With Republicans opposing just about anything Biden enacts, he’ll need support from his own party for any plan to hold up. To Representative Alex Padilla, Biden should include more humanitarian provisions, as opposed to tough talk to win over Democrats and the wider public.
“While some people point to how well an orderly and secure border polls, what polls even better is support for dreamers and farmworkers and other essential workers who happen to be undocumented,” said Padilla. “What polls the best is a combination of the policies taken together.”